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WAR PICTURES 



FROM 



THE SOUTH. 



^/ BY 

B? estvAn, 

OOLONBL OF CAVALUY IN THE CONFEDERATE ARMY 



NEW YORK: 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 

443 & 445 BROADWAY. 
18G3. 









^" 



5813^ 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by 

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 

Southern District of New York. 



4l 







PREFACE. 



I HAVE, as a refugee, for tlie second time set my foot 
upon the rocky shores of Old England, to complete, 
under the shelter of her glorious banner, a narrative of 
the remarkable events that occurred during a period of 
more than eighteen months' campaigning in America, 
the knowledge of which I acquired from my personal 
experience as an ojBficer of the Confederate army. 

Now that my book is ready, I can confidently place 
it before the reader, with the assurance that these 
" War Pictures " have been delineated not only to the 
best of my ability, but with a conscientious regard to 
truth. 

Although circumstances led me to take service in 
the Confederate army — my long residence in the 
Southern States being, however, the main inducement 
thereto — I have not been the less disposed to do justice 
to both sides engaged in this lamentable contest. 
Thus, while ever ready to bestow my hearty admiration 
on all the instances that came to my knowledge of 
heroism, patriotic devotion, and high-principled con- 
duct, whether displayed on the part of my own com- 
rades or on that of their opponents, I have, on the 
other hand, not hesitated to lay bare the errors and 
blamable acts, by whomsoever committed, that have 



IT PEEPACE. 

been conducive to so much disaster and misery, noij'*' 
have I spared the wrong doers. 

Having completed my task, my thoughts naturally 
recur to the land wherein this unholy war is raging. 
To America, my second home, whose image I cling to 
with fond attachment, I cannot look hack without sor- 
row for her misfortunes. I there contemplate deplor- 
ingly the spectacle of a people once united, now 
dissevered through mad dissensions — dissensions which, 
involving in their fatal course the principle of the 
defence and maintenance of sacred rights, have issued,^ 
in a suicidal conflict. My memory, in reverting, to thel. 
fearful scenes so recently witnessed, painfully recalls', 
those sanguinary battle fields whereon many a gallant 
soldier breathed out his spirit, struck to death by the 
bullet of a man whom he had been wont to regard in 
the hght of a brother. Again the gaunt spectre of 
discord rises before me, with lightning flashing from its 
eyes, and rancor foaming at its lips, as, armed with a 
scourge of serpents, it frantically urges on whole popu- 
lations to mutual destruction ! 

Now that my book is ready, I dedicate it to the 
soldiers of the two contending armies, as a greeting 
from afar, I have only to add, that if some of my 
criticisms may appear too severe to those whose con- 
duct I censure, I have, in making use of them, been 
actuated solely by a fearless resolye to tell the truth 
and state my honest convictions. In the exercise of ^ 
this, which I claim to be an undoubted right, have I ^ 
written my book. V 

The Authok, 
Dover, May, 1863. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

CHAPTEK I. 
Secession of South Cariliua, ..... .1 

CHAPTER II. 
The Riot at Baltimore. . . . . . . . , ,36 

CHAPTER III. 
DeBtniotion of the Elect at Portsmouth, ..... 42 

CHAPTER IV. 
Tlie Battle of Bethel, 45 

CHAPTER V. 
Colonel Porterfield's Volunteers, ...... 49 

CHAPTER VI. 
M'Clellan's Victory at Rich Mountain, ...... 52 

CHAPTER VII. 
Movements on the Potomac, , . . . . . .61 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Bull Run, 66 

CHAPTER IX. 
The Battle of Manassas, ........ 71 

CHAPTER X. 
Richmond after the Battle of Manassas, ...... 103 

CHAPTER XL 
Beauregard Commander in-Chief of the Army of the Potomac, ^ . , 101 

CHAPTER XII. 
The Campaign in WcBtern Virginia, . . . , , , no 

1* 



Vi CONTENTS. 

PAOB 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Operations on Gauley River, ....... IH 

CHAPTER XIV. i 

Camp Defianoe, Cheat Mountain, Cottoa Hill, ..... 122f 

CHAPTER XV. J 

M'Clellanappoiiite.d to the cblef command of the Federal Army, . . ''•^^f 

CHAPTER XVI. l| 

The Campaign in Missouri, . . . . • • . . 135 A 

CHAPTER XVII. * 

The Battle of Carthage, 1^0 . , 

CHAPTER XVIII. i 

The Battle of Oak Hill, or Wilson Creek, 147* 

CHxVPTER XIX, I 

A General without an Army, ........ 161 < 

CHAPTER XX. 
Battle of Lexington, 155 

CHAPTER XXI. 
Recruiting at Richmond, ........ 162 

CHAPTER XXII. 
Hospitals of the Wounded Prisoners, . . . . . .165 

CHAPTER XXIII. 
The Prisons at Richmond, ....... 169 

CHAPTER XXIV. C 

A Christmas Eve, . . . . . . . . . 171 

CHAPTER XXV. 
The Battle of Belmont, 176 

CHAPTER XXVI. 
Battle in East Tennessee. -,. . . . . . . . 186 

CHAPTER XXVII. 
Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, ....... 195 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 
John Morgan, the Guerilla Chieftain, . ..... 208 

CHAPTER XXIX. 
Johnston on the T ennessee River— Floyd and Pillow, . . . 214 

CHAPTER XXX. 
The Battle of Siiiloh, . 219 



COSTTENTS. VU 



PAGE 



CHAPTER XXXI. 
Surrender of Cape Hatteras, ....... 233 

CHAPTER XXXII. 
surrender of Roanoke Island, . ..... . . . 235 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 
, 7eueral Wise, ......... 246 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 
The Battle of Newbern, 251 

CHAPTER XXXV. 
Tbe " Merrimac" and the " Monitor," ...... 261 

CHAPTER XXXVL 
; estruction of the " Merrimac," ....... 269 

CHAPTER XXXVIL 
iSiege of Yorktown, ... ..... 275 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
The T^attle of Fair Oaks, 282 

C a APT ER XXXIX. 
Battle of Seven Pines, ........ 288 

CHAPTER XL. 

Investment of Richmond, ........ 297 

CHAPTER XLI. 

The Seven Days' Battle before Richmond : Jpne 25th to .July Ist. 1S62 

I.— A Council of "War, . . . . . . . .310 

II.— First Day : Commencent of Operations, ..... 311 

III.— Second Day : Battle of Gaines's Mill, .... 313 

IV.— Third and Fourth Days : Battle of Peach Orchard, . . .318 

v.— Fifth Day : Battle near White Oak Swamp, .... 321 

VI.— Sixth Day : Battle at Frazer's Farm, . . . . .323 

VII.— Seventh Day : Battle of Malvern Hill, .... 327 

CONCLUDLNG OBSERVATIONS, ........ 330 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 

General P. G. Toussaint Be.auregard, ...... 335 

" The late Albert Sidney Johnston, .... 330 

" Robert Edmund Lee, ....... 337 

" Thomas Jefferson Jackson, ...... 337 

" Sterling Price, ........ 342 



CONTENTS. 



General C. Frederick Henningsen, . 

" Joseph EcclcBton Johnston, 

" Edmund Kirby Smith, 

" Braxton Bragg, 

" James Longstreet, 

" Q. B. M'Clellan, . 

" Francis Sigel, . 

" Arahrose Everett Burneide, 

" Don Carlos Buell, 

" Henry "Wager Halleck, . 

" Ulysses S. Grant, 

" John Charles Fremont, . 



PAGX 

S42 

846 



846 

841 

850?? 

85) 

sai 



i 



WAR PICTURES. 



CHAPTER I . 

SECESSION OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 

JBlection of Mr. Lincoln— Excitement in the South— South Carolina secedes— Ma- 
jor Anderson destroys Fort Moultrie — Resignation of Secretary Floyd— Journey 
to Charlestou- Commotion tliere— Fort Bumter— President Buchanan rejects 
the ultimatum— Major Ripley, commander of Fort Moultrie— Warlike prepara- 
tions—Genera) Bragg— Uncle Sam— Montgomery— Fort Pickens— President 
Jeff. DaTis and Vice-President Alex. Stephens— Secession of the States of Mis- 
sissippi, Alahama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas— Peace Congress at 
Washington— Complete rupture— Lincoln's installation at Washington— Danger 
of the city— The new Cahinct— Bombardment of Fort Sumter— Sham Fighting 
—Capitulation— President Lincoln's Declaration of War— Condition of the 
Confederacy— My return to Richmond— Virginia joins the Southern States. 

As SOON as the election to the Presidency of the Republican 
candidate, Abraham Lincoln, became known, the South at 
once made preparations to dissolve the Union, urged thereto 
by the conviction that henceforth it had no guarantees or 
safeguard for the preservation of its rights. South Caroli- 
na, the mother of the Southern States, took the initiative in 
this movement, with but little foresight, however, and with 
very inadequate preparations for an effort of such magnitude ; 
but it had resolved to take up the gauntlet which it conceived 
had been thrown down by the North in the election of Lin- 
coln; and, on the 20th December, 1860, proceeded to declare 
itself an independent sovereign State. 
1 



2 WAR PICTURES. 

Patriots now poured in on all sides, eager to support the 
young Government, not only by their countenance and coun- 
sel, but by deeds, if needful. 

Major Anderson, of the United States army, who was in 
command of Fort Moultrie, one of the strongholds of Charles- 
ton, evacuated that post, after burning all the Government 
stores, spiking the guns, and destroying everything he could ; 
and embarked, on the 20th December, with his detachment 
of 132 men of the United States army, to take possession of 
Fort Sumter, erected on an islet in the middle of the bay. 
This place offered him greater security ; and within its bomb- 
proof walls he would be able quietly to watch the progress 
of coming events. 

The indignation of the inhabitants of Charleston was in- 
tense when the flames arising from Fort Moultrie made them 
aware of its abandonment and demolition by its late com- 
mander. A number of steamers were prepared in all haste, 
and ordered, with various companies of State troops, to take 
possession of both Fort Moultrie and Fort Pinckney ; which 
double occupation was effected without bloodshed, the small 
garrison of the former having already been withdrawn to 
Fort Sumter. 

On the 30th December, Mr. J. B. Floyd, the United States 
Secretary of War, notified to President Buchanan his with- 
drawal from the Cabinet ; and, leaving his office in the greatest 
confusion, hastily left Washington for his estates in Virginia. 
The secession of South Carolina from the Union, however, did 
not disturb the equanimity of the North, as the people of 
that portion of the United States were firmly convinced that 
the Government could easily put down the rebellion. But 
the events which occurred shortly after, apprized the North 
that the Southerners were not unprovided with ways and 
means to begin a Avar, and that in the coming struggle they 
would prove anything but despicable opponents. 

Thus the first signal step toward disunion was taken ; to 



CHARLESTON. 8 

what it might lead, no one could then foresee, especially as 
the first hasty and somewhat imperfect preparations did not 
imply any very extensive plan of operations. Popular pas- 
sions were violently aroused ; but who could have guessed in 
those dawning symptoms of strife the disastrous consequences 
of a fratricidal Avar, which was destined to overwhelm alike 
friend and foe, and to undermine the prosperity and wealth 
of the whole community ? 

Scarcely had South Carolina seceded from the Union, 
when I received a commission from two of the most influen 
tial Southern leaders, with directions for me to proceed at 
once to South Carolina to superintend the military prepara- 
tions going on there, and the arrangements for bombarding 
Fort Sumter, where Major Anderson had taken up his posi- 
tion, and where, under the banner of the Great Eepublic, it 
was expected he could hold out to the last extremity. My 
arrangements for departure were speedily made, and I was 
ready to start on my knight-errant's mission. On quitting 
Richmond, the dreary morasses and monotonous rice, cotton, 
an4 tobacco fields of Virginia and of North and South Caro- 
lina were quickly passed ; for the railway runs in a contin- 
uous line through this unpicturesque portion of the South. 
After a twenty-five hours' journey, the train came to a stand- 
still, and the voices of the guards announced to the drowsy 
passengers the welcome news that we were at Charleston. 
All was now life and bustle ; we had arrived at the theatre 
of impending w^ar. 

An omnibus took me quickly to Mills' Hotel, the best in 
Charleston, and far surpassing those of Richmond. After I 
had made myself presentable, I proceeded to the dining room 
to restore my somewhat wearied faculties. Here I found at 
the well-supplied table a host of Southern cavaliers, who 
seemed to enjoy the good things before them with considera- 
ble gusto. The events of the day were loudly discussed 
among them, and strong words uttered against the Govern- 



4 WAR PICTURKS. 

ment at Washington. Several of these gentleznen had al 
ready donned brilliant uniforms ; and as they clanked theii 
spurs, rattled their swords, and made dashing inroads upon 
the viands before them, I could hardly fail to be impressed by 
such evidences of chivalrous courage. 

As soon as dinner was over, I hastened to deliver my des- 
patches to his Excellency Mr. Pickens, Governor of the State 
of South Carolina. In him I found a perfect gentleman, full 
of amiability and courtesy ; and on my applying to him for 
the necessary information to guide me in my endeavors to as- 
certain the military resources of the State of South Carolina, 
he ordered one of his numerous adjutants to attend me, be- 
sides directing that I should be provided with horses and a 
negro servant. Captain Nelson, the officer in question, at 
once tendered his services with that urbanity peculiar to the 
planters of the South ; and, much pleased with my reception, 
I left the Governor's headquarters to pay my Respects to the 
Hon. William Porcher Miles. After passing through some 
of the principal streets, we came in view of the Bay of 
Charleston. The sight which now burst upon me was so en- 
chanting that I stood on the shores of the bay gazing with de- 
light upon the noble spectacle before me. It was one of those 
glorious visions of beauty which, once seen, can never be for- 
gotten. The magnificent deep-blue waters of the bay lay 
slumbering before me, and from out their midst arose the un- 
sightly, dingy walls of Fort Sumter, with its formidable- 
looking guns and casemates; whilst a gentle south wind 
caused the majestic flag raised in the centre of the fort to give 
its ample folds to the breeze, displaying the Stars and Stripes 
to the many thousand citizens of Charleston assembled on the 
beach. 

There, in the middle of the bay, within that unseemly mass 
of dark-looking rock, was housed a small band, all, no doubt, 
trusty sons of that great Republ'c whose banner seemed to 
intimate unmistakably to the crowd of Southern loungers on 



CHARLESTON. 6 

the opposite shore their resolve either to maintain the post 
entrusted to their keeping, or to die as brave soldiers in the 
performance of their duty. On the left side of the bay stood 
Fort Moulti'ie, from the battlements of which was displayed 
the banner of the Southerners — the Palmetto — which the 
people glanced at with eyes beaming with proud satisfaction. 

I tore myself away reluctantly from the spot, and in 
company of the officer appointed to escort me, I proceeded 
to the residence of the Hon. William Porcher Miles. This 
gentleman gave me a hearty welcome, accompanied with re- 
peated offers of service. After a long visit, I and my com- 
panion took leave of him, and proceeded to the hotel, in the 
saloon of which we remained but a short time before retiring 
to rest. I had not, however, been long asleep, when I was 
aroused by a violent ringing of bells, and by the prolonged 
blast of trumpets. On hastening down stairs to ascertain the 
cause of this turmoil, I found unmistakable signs of military 
activity all around me, reminding me of scenes I had wit- 
nessed in Italy in the year 1848. Halls and stairs resounded'^ 
to the clank of spurs and swords — music familiar to the ear 
of an old soldier ; and in the great room below vrere crowded 
together military Bien of every description — grenadiers, hus- 
sars, and others ; whilst a corps of cadets had mounted guard 
in front of the hotel. Moreover, troops of all arms were 
marching past, and artillery rattled heavily through the 
streets. 

Captain Nelson shortly made his appearance, and with a 
beaming countenance informed me that orders had just been 
received for the bombardment of Fort Sumter. President 
Buchanan had, in fact, rejected the ultimatum of South Caro- 
lina : namely, the withdrawal of the United States troops 
from Fort Sumter; and the plenipotentiaries had returned 
with this virtual declaration of war on the part of the Presi- 
dent. All the impediments that had hitherto restrained the 
impatient Southerners from giving full scope to their courage. 



6 "WAE PICTURES. 

vanished as the barriers which had hitherto existed between 
the belligerents were removed. Some hundred officers were 
soon assembled in the dining hall, and the hubbub received 
additional stimulus from the incessant drawing of champagne 
corks, while all present seemed animated with martial ardor. 
In a short time Captain Nelson arrived, with horses and ser- 
vants, and we set out for Fort Moultrie, where Major Ripley, 
formerly an officer of the regular United States army, held 
the command, and where the ball was to commence. My 
charger was a quiet old nag, which never in its life had faced 
such an excited crowd as that now surging hither and thither. 
Poor fellow, after having for a long course of years quietly 
munched his oats and hay in peaceful security, it was now his 
fate to smell gunpowder all at once, and prove his nerve 
amidst the thunder of cannon. Ae if he had some foreboding 
of what was to happen, he pricked up his ears and cast shy 
glances at the military life teeming around us. Nevertheless, 
without needing the admonition of spur or rein, he readily 
carried me up the heights which led to Fort Moultrie. 

It was a charming day. The sun shone, mild and smiling, 
upon the deep-blue waters of the lovely bay. The green 
hills on the shore were reflected in the crystal mirror below, 
and all nature seemed so happy and peaceful as to present to 
the mind a strange contrast to the spirit of discontent and 
warlike strife which then brooded in the breast of man. 
Leaving our horses, we went on board a steamer, which con- 
veyed us to the fort. 

Through my excellent Vogtlander telescope I saw many 
indications of great military activity in Fort Sumter ; guns 
were being brought into position, and new works thrown up 
in front of the fort ; in short, it was quite clear to my mind 
that Major Anderson was not only determined to show us his 
teeth, but to bite hard if necessary. I handed my glass to my 
friend the Captain, who was standing near me, drawing his 
attention to the preparations in active progress then making 



FOET MOULTRIE. 7 

by the commandant of Fort Sumter ; observing that so old a 
fox as Anderson would hardly fail to receive such a distin- 
guished party as ourselves with all due courtesy and attention. 

" What the devil do you mean ? the confounded fellow is 
surely not going to fire at us ? " anxiously inquired my heroic 
companion, while his face became remarkably pallid, and his 
well-waxed mustache lost considerably in its warlike appear- 
ance. 

" Believe me, Captain," I rejoined, " that all those prepar- 
tions he is so busily engaged in making mean mischief, and 
denote his intention to make good use of his formidable 
guns." 

At these worfls a slight shiver pervaded my companion's 
frame, and pleading sickness, he retired in a state of trepida- 
tion, to find a place of greater security behind the bulwarks 
of the steamer. The other bold sons of Mars who had 
accompanied me from Charleston, now all gathered around, 
and pressed me to give them some account of my former 
military adventures under similar circumstances, which re- 
quest I readily complied with. 

In the midst of my narrative the captain of the steamer 
shouted out, "Forfc Moultrie, gentlemen! " and we all pre- 
pared to leave the vessel. On landing, we were warmly wel- 
comed by a number of officers and soldiers of the garrison, 
assembled at the landing place, and we then proceeded without 
delay to the interior of the fort, where we found the com- 
mander, Major Ripley, surrounded by a crowd of negroes 
busy at work. As soon as I made myself known to the 
Major, he begged me to excuse him for a few moments, as he 
was anxious to give his final orders in person. It was evident 
to me at a glance that vigorous warlike measures were in ac- 
tive preparation in the fort. Guns of every calibre were 
being placed in position ; furnaces to heat the shot were get- 
ting ready for use ; ammunition was being brought to the 
different batteries, and shot and shell of all sizes piled up in 



8 WAR PICTURES. 

symmetrical pyramids. A portion of the garrison was like- 
wise under arms, in readiness for immediate service, if re- 
quired ; indeed, the whole scene convinced me that the officer 
in command was an excellent soldier, notwithstanding a few 
slight mistakes that I could not fail to notice, which showed 
that his work had come upon him rather suddenly, and that 
this was, in all proLability, the^ first time in his life he had 
been on active service. For instance, the defensive works of 
the fort were of too weak a construction to offer any effectual 
resistance to the heavy guns of a bomb-proof fort like that of 
Sumter. A well-directed bombardment from its formidable 
batteries, by skilful and experienced gunners, would have 
knocked Fort Moultrie to pieces in a dozen hours. 

One of the chief departments, moreover, that of the hos- 
pital, had been very badly provided for. There were no sur- 
geons present, with their assistants, provided with instruments, 
bandages, ambulances, and other needful appliances, ready for 
instant attention to such casualties as might occur. There 
was an utter absence of the usual hospital details on the eve 
of hostile operations : no surgeons with sleeves tucked vip, 
ready for their grave work, giving directions to their assist- 
ants, pointing out where and how their services might be re- 
quired and turned to the best account. Nothing of the kind 
was visible, although such precautions were obviously of vital 
importance to the soldier about to confront a determined foe. 
The good-natured doctors in Fort Moultrie were strolling 
about the works in line uniforms, as if it was an understood 
thing that there would be no wounded, and consequently no 
work for them to do. 

As soon as I had made this inspection, which brought a 
smile to my lips more than once, I went into the inner court, 
where Captain Nelson imparted the very important news that 
Major Ripley was awaiting me with a capital bowl of punch. 
On taking the seat politely offered to me, I found the worthy 
commander of the fort sitting, like Bacchus, on an upturned 



MAJOR KIPLET. 9 

barrel. His officers lay around him in picturesque groups, 
smoking their cigars, and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the 
punch, which was being brewed by a young cavalry lieutenant. 
I was most enthusiastically -welcomed by Major Eipley and 
his officers, as I was almost the only European officer serving 
under their flag. We made ourselves as comfortable as we 
could upon the bales of cotton placed for our accommodation, 
whilst a host of slaves handed round the punch, together with 
excellent Havana cigars. The glasses went merrily round, 
and many toasts were drunk to the success of the Palmetto 
State. It was one of those martial orgies which only the hot- 
blooded Southerner can fully appreciate and enjoy. We were 
presently interrupted, however, in our unflinching attack upon 
the punch bowl, by the sentry on duty, who conducted an 
orderly from the Governor in charge of despatches for the 
commander of the fort. A dead silence now ensued, and all 
eyes were turned inquiringly toward Major Ripley. As 
soon as this officer had read the despatch he dismissed the 
orderly, thrust the papers into his pocket, and telling a young, 
active, woolly-headed negro to hand him a glass of punch, he 
thus addressed his companions in arms, who were waiting for 
intelligence in eager expectation : 

" Gentlemen, fill your glasses ! As regards the bombard- 
ment of Fort Sumter, it is all over for the present." (Great 
astonishment now manifested.) " I am to proceed at once to 
the headquarters of his Excellency," he continued ; and then, 
raising his glass, he proposed a cheer for the Palmetto Re- 
public and its brave sons. This was responded to by a round 
of cheers from the officers present, in which the garrison out- 
side promptly joined. This scene, I confess, made me look at 
the Palmetto banner with thoughts of a rather serious nature. 

Major Ripley then turned to Captain Lamb, and handed 
over to him the command for the day, while I and my com- 
panion started forthwith on our return to Charleston. On 
arriving there we proceeded to the headquarters of the 
1* 



10 WAB PICTTJEES. 

Governor, to ascertain the cause of the revocation of the 
previous orders. All the leading men of the State of South 
Carolina were assembled there. 

We learned that after a lengthy debate it had been re- 
solved to abstain from the bombardment of Fort Sumter, and 
that endeavors should be made to induce Major Anderson, by 
diplomatic means, either to evacuate the fort or to capitulate. 

Major Ripley, Captain Nelson, and myself then adjourned 
to my hotel, to recruit ourselves after the fatigues of the day. 
On our entrance, however, one of the numerous waiters of the 
hotel handed me a despatch from Virginia, ordering me to 
start without delay, after my inspection was over, for General 
Bragg's headquarters in the State of Florida, in order to 
report upon the state of things there. General Bragg having 
already received orders to take Fort Pickens, which was- held 
by the troops and fleet of the United States. 

I was soon ready to commence my journey to Florida and 
Alabanaa, and took a hearty farewell of my comrades, whom 
I had learned to like during our short acquaintance; they 
made me promise that, should the bombardment of Fort 
Sumter actually take place, and I should receive information 
of the fact by telegraph, I would immediately return to be 
a witness of the valor and efficiency of the troops of South 
Carolina. We shook hands all round ; and, accompanied by 
Captain Nelson, I proceeded to the railway. 

Here I found my black servant, good old Uncle Sam, who, 
with his woolly head, came to me with a melancholy look, 
saying : " Massa Cornel take old Sam with him. Understand 
horses. Onkel Sam kill all mosquitos." I was really touched 
by the poor fellow's earnest entreaties as he chronicled all his 
good qualities, in the hopes of making a favorable impression 
upon me ; so, shaking the old man's hand, I comforted him at 
once by telling him that he might come with me. He now 
gave vent to that unconstrained outburst of joy so character- 
istic of the negro race when any one of their wishes is gratified. 



MT NIGGEE " UNCLE SAM." 11 

Pushing aside a young ebon-sl<inned negro who was standing 
near, gaping at us with open mouth and staring eyes, Uncle 
Sam exclaimed, in utter forgetfulness of his own coal-black 
hue, " Get out of the road, you dam black nigger ; make place 
whar Cornel comes ! " accompanying his words with a look 
of magisterial authority. 

I requested Captain Nelson to allow me to take Uncle Sam 
with me as my servant, which he readily assented to. As the 
train did not start immediately, I sat down in the waiting 
room to read the newspapers. At last, when the signal for 
departure was given, Uncle Sam made his appearance, but 
completely metamorphosed. A pair of very scanty light-blue 
trousers encompassed his huge nether limbs ; a light-yellow 
waistcoat brought his powerfid chest into high relief'; whilst 
a grass-green frock coat, adorned with gilt buttons, a black 
broad-brimmed hat — which also did the (futy of an umbrella; 
a shirt collar — the ends of which nearly touched his eyes — 
and a Patagonian pair of boots none too big for his elephantine 
feet, completed his costume, of which he seemed ineffably 
proud. Uncle Sam, who evidently fancied himself irresistible 
in his new^and rather "loud" style of dress, handed me with 
great dignity into one of the carriages, and then went to look 
after my luggage. He tramped along the station with that 
air of importance which negroes are so fond of assuming when 
they fancy their master to be a man of consideration. 

When we were just about to start. Uncle Sam took good 
care to display himself in all his bravery on the platform of 
the carriage, that he might gladden the eyes of his admiring 
brethren, numbers of whom, hearing of his departure, had 
assembled to see him off. " Good-by, Bell ; don't forget 
me," he shouted out to a thick-lipped, ugly negress, as she 
handed up some fruit. " Bob, don't forget you owe me ten 
cents." " Tim, my compliments to your lady. Onkel Sam 
is going to the wars, and kill many Yankees. Massa Cornel 
hab swords. Good-by, good-by ; " and thus he took leave, 
perhaps forever, of his sable acquaintances. 



12 TVAR PICTUEES. . 

My new journey Avas just as monotonous as that fi-om 
Richmond to Chai-leston. In Augusta, in the State of Georgia, 

I made a halt to have an interview with the Hon. Mr. K , 

to whom I had letters of introduction. I found this gentleman 
a devoted patriot of the great Eepublic. He shook his head 
sadly at the startling events in the Southei'n States, and em- 
phatically condemned the inconsiderate, hasty action of the 
State of South Carolina, as likely to lead the country to ruin. 
On my observing to him that the whole of the Southern 
newspapers approved of the conduct of South Carolina, not a 
single dissentient voice having been raised against it, he re- 
plied, " Yes, yes, the newspapers join in this Avolfish howl ; 
but ask the people, appeal to the inhabitants of Georgia, and 
I will stake my head that four fifths of the population are in 
favor of the Union, and oppo.sed to a sepai'ation from it. 
And this is not onfy the case here," he continued, '' but you 
will find it to be the same in Alabama, North Carolina, and 
Virginia. But that portion of the community which has long 
been waiting for a pretext to get up this revolution has found 
an opportunity for commencing their odious game in the elec- 
tion of the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln." 

I took a cordial leave of this worthy man and patriotic 
citizen, and continued my journey to INIontgomery. 

Some of the reflections I had just heard, I could not help 
fancying had already flashed across my own mind. It was in- 
telligible enough that a factious party, actuated by ambition 
and restless discontent, with the press at their command, 
should persistently preach disunion, hoping by the overthrow 
of the existing state of things to bring about the accomplish- 
ment of their designs. I could not forget how majestic had 
been the growth of the Union, that -sngorous plant which had 
been developed in such strength and power as to command 
the admiration of the civilized world. Each State was a 
glorious stem of this noble tree, and each leaf bore the words, 
Law, Liberty, Prosperity, Concord ! These four elements of 



MONTGOMERY. 13 

its flourishing condition were individually and collectively es- 
sential to its further development : a truth felt and cherished 
by the smallest member of the least part of this colossal 
Union, Why, then, were not the noxious insects at once 
crushed which had crept into the calyx of so fair a flower in 
order to destroy it 1 Why was not every rotten leaf at once 
cut off that threatened to poison the sap of the whole plant 1 

But who could have then dreamt that the small snowball 
moulded by the hand of discord would become ere long a 
mighty avalanche, increasing as it rolled on ; would, in its de- 
structive career, overwhelm thousands of the homesteads of 
peace ? 

Montgomery, in the State of Alabama, was selected by 
the revolutionary party as the place best suited to concoct 
their schemes, and to lay out their plans in undisturbed se- 
curity. On my arrival in this small town I found the great- 
>.st excitement and flurry prevalent amongst the citizens, who 
had assembled together by thousands. With some difficulty 
I procured a lodging for myself and Uncle Sam, and then 
hastened to the Capitol, where I had a short interview with 
some of the members of the Southern Convention, which was 
then holding a sitting. Without allowing myself any further 
respite, I proceeded at daybreak next morning to the seat of 
war in Florida, to investigate the state of affairs there. 

At Pensacola, a miserable little town on the Mexican 
Gulf, in a sandy plain where yellow fever and alligators had 
it all their own way, was posted the army of the famous 
General Bragg, who, from this point, commenced operations 
to storm Fort Pickens, situated in the middle of the bay, 
which post was then covered and defended by a United 
States' squadron and a small body of troops. Hitherto 
General Bragg had done nothing except to concoct and issue 
forth his pompous reports to the world. The impression he 
made upon me was precisely that of a strolling acrobat stand- 
ing outside his booth, announcing the wonderful things that 



14 WAK PIcrUEES. 

were to be seen within. It must be admitted, however, that 
his reports and bulletins were calculated to produce a telling 
effect in exciting the masses. Here is a specimen of the style 
of these precious effusions : " Prepare your cannon to destroy 
the world ! I will disperse the dogs to the four winds ! Not 
one stone of the fort shall remain upon another ! " 

In short, by such laconic proclamations he successfully 
courted, the approval of the multitude, who began to fancy 
that Bragg was the only general in the world worth having — 
a second Alexander the Great. Indeed, if big words sufficed 
to make heroes, there would be no lack of supply in America ; 
but as a makeweight they have happily a local proverb 
which teaches them that " Words are not cents ! " 

Bragg would not allow me to open my lips, but, in wild 
excitement, at once launched forth a vainglorious boast, that 
in less than four weeks he would capture Fort Pickens, put 
the garrison to the sword, and blow it in the air. " All this 
is very well, General," I quietly observed ; " but what meas- 
ures have you taken to carrj^ out this great plan 1 " On this 
point, however, the gallant General declined to enter into any 
explanations ; it was his wish, he said (pulling up his shirt 
collar at the same time, as if to give weight to his words), to 
astonish the public by his success. After this rather unsatis- 
factory interview, I proceeded along the shores of the bay to 
inspect his camp and the condition of his army. The defen- 
sive works were of the most primitive kind, and constructed 
with a carelessness which might have led to the supposition 
that we were in a state of peace, had it not been that a hos- 
tile fort opposite stood where the vigilant activity of the enemy 
was evident enough. 

The sun's rays were so fierce that the dry sandy soil 
glowed with scorching heat. I therefore ordered a horse, and 
rode, accompanied by General Bragg's first adjutant, Major 
Self, through the camp. Major Self was a good-humored 
cavalry officer, who might be a good soldier, but he wag 



SECESSION OP OTHER STATES. 16 

rather too enthusiastic an admirer of General Bragg, and 
was never tired of talking about the great things which the 
General intended to do. The troops assembled here consisted 
exclusively of volunteer militia, who had only been a few 
weeks in the service. They were a set of fine-looking young 
men. Camp life had given them much of the fantastical ap- 
pearance of the French troops in Algeria, but they lacked 
their light-hearted good humor and ready wit ; they seemed, 
at any rate, greatly to enjoy their military life : it was a re- 
lief from the monotonous routine of their plantation exist- 
ence, and this change in their habits seemed to be not at all 
unpalatable to them. I had only been a few days in the 
camp when the news arrived that the Convention at Mont- 
gomery had elected Jefferson Davis as President, and Alex- 
ander H. Stephens as Vice-President of the Confederacy, I 
took a hasty farewell of General Bragg and of the chief of 
the staff; ordered Sam to pack up my things, and on that 
same evening started on my way back to Montgomery. 

In a very short time the circumstances of the South had 
undergone a great change. After the secession of South Car- 
olina, that of other Southern States soon followed. Early in 
January, 1861, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida seceded 
from the Union, and at the end of the same month Georgia 
and Louisiana did the same. Texas seceded in February, So 
that in less than three months after the election of President 
Lincoln all the cotton States had separated from the Union, 
taking, moreover, at the same time, the precaution to seize 
all State property, with the exception of the forts in Charles- 
ton Bay and Fort Pickens in Florida, which were held by the 
troops of the United States, who did not show the least incli- 
nation to give them up at the first bidding. 

At the end of January the Legislature of the State of 
Virginia proposed a Peace Congress, to avert, if possible, the 
calamity of a civil war. This Congress actually met on the 
9th of February at Washington, for the purpose of taking 



16 WAE PICnjKES. 

counsel to devise friendly and conciliatory measures calculated 
to quench the smouldering sparks of revolution, and Mr. 
Tyler, a former President of the United States, was elected to 
preside ; but after a few days' sitting the Congress broke up, 
as it was found impracticable to come to any understanding. 
The seceding States thereupon organized a Government of 
their own, and thus laid the foundation of the future Confede- 
racy. 

The delegates of the six seceding States met at Montgom- 
ery, and there, on the 8th of February, a constitution for the 
Confederate States was framed and adopted. The Congress 
then proceeded to the election of a President and Vice-Presi 
dent, and after some discussion, Jefferson Davis was, as 
already stated, elected President, and Alexander H. Stephens, 
of Georgia, Vice-President of the Confederacy. 

I looked forward with no little interest for the arrival of 
President Davis, who, I learned, was, on the news of his 
election, hastening to Montgomery to assume the functions of 
his office. On the 19th February he made his solemn en- 
trance into that town amidst the ringing of bells and the roar 
of cannon. Followed by a host of office hunters, he found a 
still greater number of the same gentry awaiting his arrival. 
The 22d February was the day fixed upon for the installation 
of the President. The ceremony took place with all the pomp 
that was possible, under the circumstances. Bells pealed, sa- 
lutes were fired, and military detachments from every part 
of the Confederate States came forward to take a share 
in the great show. But the whole thing was done in such 
a hurry that the' election, arrival, and installation of the 
President were scarcely made public before they were ac- 
complished. It almost seemed as if there had been a pre- 
vious rehearsal, so rapid was the performance. On the 
22d February, at 2 p. m., the Southern States possessed 
a President and a Cabinet, and the people stared at each 
other in amazement, not exactly understanding how this 



JEPrEESON DAVIS. 



17 



hasty election came about, A candidate for the Presi- 
dency had arrived in the night without the people knowing, 
anything about it, without giving the citizens time to vote 
for or against him. Some politicians naturally took advan- 
tage of this to treat the citizens of this free country as serfs, 
and the latter, silently and without a murmur, put up with 
this contemptuous treatment of their rights. But not to 
allow them time to brood over their wrongs, the Government 
immediately took measures which w^ere well calculated to 
completely bewilder them. 

Forts Moultrie and Pinckney in Charleston Bay were 
taken possession of, as we have seen, as also were Forts Pu- 
laski, Jackson, and Philip. The arsenals at Baton Eouge and 
Mount Vernon, the Custom House at New Orleans, and the 
Mint were also seized, the cash found there confiscated, and 
new officials appointed. 

At this period the court of the newly elevated Jefferson 
Davis was thronged by all those who had contributed in the 
slightest degree to rend asunder the republic of the United 
States. It seemed as if from every part of the land the 
croAvs had flocked together to share in the anticipated feast. 
The ex-Secretary of War, Floyd, played no unimportant part 
here, as also a certain Mr. Tochman, formerly of the New 
York bar, who was at once appointed a general of brigade. 
A great number of former officials in the United States ser- 
vice, both civil and military, joined the new Confederacy. 
Many of these gentleman had a convenient elasticity of con- 
science, and understood perfectly well how to proclaim their 
love of country and disinterested conduct ; while the Govern- 
ment which comprised within itself many similar elements, 
had naturally no cause to disavow this outburst of patriotic 
feeling. These men were, accordingly, received with open 
arms, and appointed to good situations. 

Whilst the revolution was gradually preparing on a large 
scale in the South, the Buchanan Cabinet at Washington dis- 



-15 -WAE PICTURES. 

played an indifference which bordered upon insanity, to say 
the best of it. The relief of Fort Sumter, for instance, where 
Major Anderson was shut up with 132 men, was then appa- 
rently not even thought of; and the 4th March, the day fixed 
for the installation of the Eepublican President, Abraham 
Lincoln, was fast approaching. 

To reach Washington, Lincoln had so many obstacles to 
overcome on the way, that probably some men in a similar 
position would have turned back ; but quietly and calmly did 
this simple, clear-headed man pursue the course he had laid 
down for himself; and, despite all hindrances, not dismayed 
even at the pious wishes of the Southerners that he might 
come to serious grief on the road, he arrived safely at the 
capital of the United States, 

The hour for his installatiqn at last struck, and General 
Scott, commander-in-chief of the United States' army, received 
instructions to take all possible precautions to put down any 
attempt at an outbreak, as it was currently reported that a 
great demonstration had been resolved upon by the many 
thousand Southerners who had assembled on the occasion. 
The old General displayed the greatest activity on this occa- 
sion. He occupied the Capitol with regular troops ; he or- 
dered the by-roads which lead into Pennsylvania Avenue, the 
main street leading from the President's house to the Capi- 
tol, to be closed ; while the flat roofs of the houses were oc- 
cupied by riflemen, and large bodies of infantry and cavalry 
were stationed at various points, ready at a given signal to 
act in concert. Cavalry was ordered to form the advanced 
and rear guards of the Presidential procession, and to serve 
also as an escort. The marine brigade in the port was like- 
wise ordered to be ready in case of any emergency. 

A portentous cloud thus hung over the Capitol of the 
Union. Had a single jinlucky shot been fired, the city oi 
Washington was doomed ; for General Scott was not the man 
to shrink at trifles, and would certainly have cleared the 



LINCOLN'S INATTGUEAL ADDRESS. 19 

streets with grape had any mad atteiTipt been made to oppose 
the installation of the President. When favorable reports 
from different quarters came in on all sides, the old General, 
addressing his officers, said : " Thank Heaven that I was not 
compelled to have recourse to force, for in that case it would 
have been a very sad business." 

Merry peals of bells and the roar of cannon announced 
the ceremony of the installation. Thousands of people had 
arrived from all parts to see the old railsplitter of Illinois 
installed in one of the highest of earthly dignities, alid I too 
formed one of the curious spectators. The procession which 
left the White House was headed by a number of volunteers, 
detachments of military, and various deputations ; then came 
a plain carriage, wherein sat the ex-President Buchanan, and 
on his right, his successor, Abraham Lincoln. The President 
elect appeared pale and careworn from the fatigue and excite- 
ment he had undergone, and he cast a weary and cold glance 
at the moving mass of human beings at each side of the pro- 
cession. Was he endeavoring to discover his Brutus among 
them? 

Buchanan sat at his side with a beaming face ; it was quite 
clear he was delighted at being relieved from the duties of his 
responsible position. The representatives of foreign States 
followed the simple carriage of the President in magnificent 
equipages, attended by the whole personnel of their respective 
embassies and consulates, in their official costumes. 

President Lincoln made his inaugural speech — a serious 
and dignified oration — from the east portico of the Capitol, 
He swore solemnly with upraised hand that he would observe 
and defend the rights and laws of the United States, and that 
he would govern in such wise that he should be able one day 
to render a good account of his acts before his Supreme Judge. 
He declared that there was no necessity for the shedding of 
blood, or to have recourse to force, at least not unless — and 
he placed great emphasis upon that word — the insurgent peo- 



20 WAR PICTURES. 

pie should drive the Government to it. He further declared 
that he should make use of the power intrusted to him by the 
majority of the people to maintain with a firm hand, under 
all circumstances, every town and citadel which belonged to 
the Government. 

In the South, President Lincoln's speech was looked upon 
as tantamount to a declaration of war, especially when it was 
found that he had conferred the most important Government 
appointments upon the most determined enemies of the South. 
Thus he appointed — 

William H. Seward, Secretary of State. 
Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury. 
Montgomery Blair, Postmaster General. 
Anson Burlingame, Minister to Austria. 
Cassixjs M. Clay, " to Russia. 

C. ScHURz, " to Spain. 

J. E. Harvey, " to Portugal. 

Charles Francis Adams, " to England. 

In the Senate of Congress, Charles Sumner was appointed 
Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations ; William 
P. Fessenden, Chairman of the Finance Committee; and 
Henry Wilson Chairman of the Committee on Military 
Affairs. Mr. Douglas, the leader of that portion of the 
Democratic party which still adhered to the National Gov- 
ernment, paid great court to the 'President, and during the 
installation ceremony held his hat in his hand. At the ball 
which took place afterward he paid the greatest attention to 
the President, and to Mrs. Lincoln. Evil tongues spoke dis- 
paragingly of this, and attributed his conduct to interested 
motives : we prefer remaining silent on the subject. 

On President's Lincoln's accession to the Presidency the 
condition of the finances was far from discouraging. In fact, 
the Government found itself in this point of view in a suffi- 



WARLIKE PEEPAEATIONS. 21 

ciently comfortable position. The War Department alone, 
under J. B. Floyd's administration, was found to be in a 
state of great disorder ; the head of that department having 
thought the moment very opportune to join the banner of 
the Confederacy with all the material aid he could bring to 
them. 

Meantime, the Confederate Government, stumbling from 
one step to another, burning all its bridges behind it, so as to 
prevent any possibility of a reconciliation, sent Mr. Crawford 
of Georgia, and Mr. Forsyth of Alabama, as delegates to 
Washington to negotiate the withdrawal of the United States 
troops from Forts Sumter and Pickens. Moreover, in con- 
sequence of the separation of the South from the North, they 
were to make proposals respecting a division of territory. 
Mr. Seward, Secretary of State, declined, however, to receive 
them as delegates from a sovereign State. 

Whilst the greater portion of the population of the South 
anxiously watched the course of events, many still hoping for 
a peaceful settlement, I had long given up all such hopes, be- 
lieving that the men who took the lead in the South were de- 
termined to oppose any attempt at reconciliation. Most of 
these men, it appeared to me, had little or nothmg to lose, but 
hoped to gain a good deal, and, consequently, were decidedly 
in favor of forcible separation. As soon as the festivities of 
the installation were over, I started for Charleston. 

Military committees now sat daily in Washington, under 
President Lincoln, to concert measures for sending reenforce- 
ments, ammunition, and provisions to Fort Sumter. These 
sittings lasted for nearly a fortnight, without any important 
decision having been adopted. The new Secretary of War at 
length took steps to be prepared for any eventuality. The 
regular troops stationed on the Southern frontier were recalled 
to Washington ; the naval squadrons in all parts of the world 
were ordered to return home, with the exception of those ves- 
sels whose duty it was to protect the commercial interests of 



22 WAR PICTUEES. 

the United States at sea. Washington soon had the appeai 
anee of a great military school. These arrangements proved 
that the Government was a\Yare of the critical state of affairs. 
In fact, it was high time that order should be restored out of 
the confusion ^yhich had arisen during the latter period of 
Buchanan's presidency, and that nothing should be wanting to 
show the firm resolve of the United States Government to 
bring back to the Union, either by conciliatory measures or 
by force of arms, those States which were declared to be in 
open rebellion. 

On the other hand, the Confederate Government had not 
been idle. Three military bills passed the Congress sitting at 
Montgomery, which was also temporarily the. seat of the 
Government. The first bill empowered President Davis to 
call out 100,000 volunteers for service; the second, to organ- 
ize a regular Confederate army ; the third, to form a local 
force. What, however, most alarmed the United States 
Government at Washington, vvas the fact that a great num- 
ber of officers of the army and navy were leaving the service 
of the United States to join the Confederates. 

At this trying time for the Government at Washington, 
many Governors of Northern States tendered aid in both men 
and money. It was also resolved that the Government should 
be empowered to employ the military force at its disposal, if 
no other means could be found, to suppress the rebellion of 
the Southern States. As soon as Lincoln's Government found 
that the Northern States intended to support it manfully -with 
every means at their disposal, it was decided at once that re- 
enforcements of men and supplies should be sent to Fort 
Sumter. With the view, moreover, of avoiding, if possible, 
even at the last moment, all aggressive measures, Colonel 
Lamon was sent to South Carolina, on a special mission to 
Governor Pickens, with the notification that the Government 
intended to send supplies to Fort Sumter. Governor Pick- 
ens listened quietly to the notification, but made no reply to 



ACTIVITY AT THE DOCK TAEDS. 23 

indicate how the Government of South Carolina intended to 
act under the circumstances. 

- It was now resolved at Washington that not a minute 
should be lost in taking active measures. The Navy Depart- 
ment received orders to issue the necessary in^ructions to get 
the fleet ready at once for service. The greatest activity was 
displayed in all the dockyards, and in the arsenals of West 
Troy, where the works were carried on day and night. A 
great number of steamers and sailing vessels were purchased, 
large contracts entered into for war materials, and at last the 
Washington Cabinet showed the people that it was going 
earnestly to work. Eecruiting for the regular army was car- 
ried out with no little success, so that in a very short time 
from 12,000 to 15,000 troops were assembled on Governor's 
Island. 

On the 6th April, the naval officer in command of the 
squadron apprized the Secretary of the Navy that he was 
awaiting further orders. 

The force ready for service consisted of — 
The Powhatan frigate, carrying 10 heavy guns, with a crew 

of 400 men ; 
The cutter Harriet Lane, 8 heavy guns, with a crew of 

100 men ; 
The sloop of war Pawnee, 10 heavy guns, with a crew of 

150 men ; 
together with the Baltic, the Atlantic, the Illinois, and 
other steamers ; the squadron numbered altogether 11 ships, 
carrying 285 guns, and 2,400 men. 

There was now no doubt that the first blow would be 
struck against Charleston. President Lincoln hesitated no 
longer, and showed to the world his determination, if all at- 
tempts at peace should fail, to have recourse to arms. 

The Southern Government at Montgomery was, through 
its spies, kept perfectly well informed of all President Lin- 
coln's measures, and appointed P. G. T. Beauregard com- 



24 WAE PICTUEES. 

mander of Charleston, with the rank of general in the Con- 
federate army. 

Beauregard had this appointment bestowed upon him 
without much being known about his military talents. The 
son of a rich planter in the State of Louisiana, he was edu- 
cated at the Military Academy at West Point, and, on leaving 
that institution, he obtained a second-class certificate. When 
the Mexican war broke out, he is reported to have distin- 
guished himself as a captain of engineers, and was twice 
honorably mentioned for his brave and meritorious conduct 
in the battles of Contreras and Churubusco. After the battle 
of Chapultepec, he was promoted to the rank of major. On 
the termination of the Mexican war, he received a commission 
from the United States Government to construct a mint and 
custom house in New Orleans ;. he was subsequently appoint- 
ed Superintendent of the Military Academy at West Point, by 
President Buchanan. That appointment, however, was can- 
celled forty-eight hours after it had been made, and he then 
joined the army of the Confederacy, with the rank of general. 

On my return to Charleston, I found a complete change in 
the aspect of the place, the whole town and its neighborhood 
having the appearance of a vast camp. An army of 30,000 
men was assembling against Fort Sumter and its small garri- 
son, just as if a place as strong as Gibraltar was about to be 
invested. Including the United States squadron, which was 
cruising in the vicinity, the enemy could not oppose to this 
force moje than 2,500 men. 

Beauregard displayed great activity in his operations. 
He ordered siege works to be erected on Morris and Sullivan's 
Islands, and batteries to be placed in position, many, indeed, 
without any apparent object. As soon as a mound of earth 
was thrown up and a gun mounted, a commander of a battery 
rose, like magic, from the earth. In a short time, no less 
than thirteen batteries were noted down in Governor Pickens's 
list, with Forts Moultrie and Pinckney, under the able man- 



FOKT STJMTEK. 25 

agement of Major Ripley, and there were also two colossal 
iron-plated ships. The preparations portended a tremendous 
siege and bombardment, and my curiosity was greatly excited. 

To stimulate the energy of the troops, Governor Pickens 
visited the different quarters accompanied by his beautiful 
wife and his niece. Grand parades were held, flags presented 
to the difl'erent regiments by fair hands, and patriotic speeches 
made ; in short, both officers and men declared that they were 
determined to conquer or die before Charleston. Oh, Sum- 
ter ! poor Sumter ! thy doom, thought I, is near at hand ! 

Whilst all these preparations were going on outside that 
stronghold. Major Anderson, within its walls, was not idle. 
When he took possession of Fort Sumter, it was in a very 
tolerable state of defence ; according to the statement of well- 
informed Ainerieans, the fort was bombproof. It lies about 
three English miles from Charleston, and is a prominent 
feature in the bay. It is built upon an artificial islet, having 
a foundation of sand and mud, which, by sunken blocks of 
stone and granite from the quarries of the Northern States, 
had been transformed into a hard and solid mass. Some 
idea may be formed of the cost and care bestowed on its 
construction, from the well-known fact that the foundation 
alone cost more than half a million of dollars, and took ten 
years in completion. 

The walls, covered with slate and masonry, were sixty feet 
in height, and from ten to twelve feet in thickness, containing 
three galleries on the north, east, and west sides. Major 
Anderson found more guns and ammunition there than his 
small garrison needed. As regards supplies, he was equally 
well off", for since the 24th of December, 1860, the State of 
South Carolina had taken care to send them in regularly. 

Nothing now remained to put these works and the skill 
of the commander to the test but a little real fighting. 

On the 8th of April, an agent of the Government at 
Washington made his appearance at General Beauregard's 
2 



26 WAR ncrrEES. 

headquarters, -with the intolligonce that the United States had 
despatched a squadron with supplies for Fort Sumter. Gen- 
eral Beauregard at once forwarded the despatch to his Gov- 
ernment at Montgomery, and shortly after received a despatch 
in reply from Mr. \Yalker, the Secretary of War, ordering him 
to demand, categorically, the surrender of Fort Sumter, and, 
in ease of refusal, to commence the bombardment without 
delay. General Beauregard sent his first adjutant, as com- 
missioner, to Major Anderson, and through him peremptorily 
demanded the surrender o( the fort. The gallant JNIajor 
smiled at so naive a demand, and stated in reply that his 
honor and his duty compelled him to hold the fort for his 
Government. On being asked whether he intended to treat 
the unprotected city as a hostile town, he replied, '• Only if I 
am compelled to do so." So ended the parley. 

President Lincoln's message created a lively sensation 
amongst the good people of Charleston, especially as, at the 
same time, Governor Pickens issued an order calling upon all 
men from eighteen to forty-five years of age to assemble at 
the Capitol for the purpose of being formed into new regi- 
ments. Furtiier orders were sent into the immediate neigh- 
borhood for the creation of four other regiments of infantry 
and two regiments of cavalry. It was not until then that 
ambulances were prepared for the wounded, and that the med- 
ical men of the town and vicinity were ordered to join the 
army. The Government, indeed, was intent on taking meas- 
ures, as if some great battle was on the eve of being fought. 
When at last seven guns were fired as a signal for the men of 
Charleston capable ©f bearing arms to present themselves at 
the Capitol, the excitement in the population knew no bounds. 
Every man seized upon some weapon or other, no matter 
what, I'esolved to .fight in good earnest. 

It was a curious sight to see men carrying guns without 
locks, bayonets without muskets, Turkish sabres too, and 
some men even had old French cuirasses buckled on ; all 



FORT SDMTEK. 27 

anxious to play a part in the attack on Fort Sumter, then 
quietly reposing three miles oft' in the middle of the bay. 

Drums beat throughout the whole of the night, and the 
bells kept ringing so incessantly that Major Anderson and 
his little garrison must have been in an awful state of alarm. 
At the corner of every street, in every bar room, crowds as- 
sembled and warlike speeches were made, whilst cannon rat- 
tled along the pavement, and bodies of horse and foot marched 
past in rapid succession. The elder portion of the commu- 
nity took upon themselves the duties of police, whilst the 
blacks looked on with a shrewd eye to see if perchance any- 
thing might turn up in their favor. Every man was deter- 
mined to do something, and these disinterested citizens made 
such a noise and confusion that one might have fancied they 
were so many Bedlamites. To add to the tumult, about mid- 
night one of those terrible storms so common in the Southern 
States burst forth ; the thunder pealed and roared to an ex- 
tent that threatened to shake the earth to its centre, and the 
lightning flashed in forks of lurid light through the dark roll- 
ing clouds, until the storm terminated in real torrents of rain. 
It was a grand spectacle of Southern nature in one of its most 
striking aspects. 

As early as half past four on the morning of the 12th of 
April, orders were sent to Major Ripley, at Fort Moultrie, 
and to Captain Wilson, commander of the battery on Cum- 
ming's Island, to open fire. The batteries soon commenced 
firing, and two hours afterward were responded to by the 
guns of Fort Sumter. Gradually every battery was engaged, 
and the air resounded with the prolonged roar of heavy guns.. 
The whole population of Charleston was now in the greatest 
state of excitement. The church steeples and housetops were 
crowded by thousands of spectators, eager to see a contest of 
artillery, and watching with feverish excitement the progress 
of the struggle. At length all the forts, batteries, and ships 
were engaged ; when suddenly a ship of war of the Uniti^l 



28 WAK PICTURES. 

States hove in sight, on Charleston Bar. Shortly afterward 
a second ship made its appearance, and signals were exchanged 
with Major Anderson. Beyond this interchange of signals, 
however, nothing was done in that quarter ; the ships kept at 
a very respectful distance from our land batteries, leaving 
Major Anderson to his fate. As evening came on, the fire 
from the batteries increased, but evidently producing little or 
no decisive effect. The firing was kept up by our batteries 
during the whole of the night, which not only afforded much 
harmless amusement to the good citizens of Charleston, but 
as much also to the contending soldiers themselves ; for, de- 
spite the eighteen hours' bombardment, not one drop of blood 
had been shed in our batteries ; and if Major Anderson had 
not suffered more from our artillery, he might feel satisfied, 
on this score at least, with the day's work. The reports re- 
ceived at headquarters, from the various batteries engaged af- 
ter eighteen hours' bombardment, up to eleven o'clock at 
night, established the fact that no casualty had occurred : not 
one man was killed or wounded, nor was there a disabled gun. 

General Beauregard, at the close of the day's proceedings, 
could therefore \vipe, not the blood, but the dust from his 
sword, and complacently say, " Enough for to-day ! " 

On the following morning Major Anderson recommenced 
firing. The soldiers in our batteries had, however, already 
come to the conclusion that little harm would ensue, and, 
therefore, did not allow themselves to be disturbed in their 
usual avocations. Any experienced European officer could 
not fail, on taking a glance at our camp, to be considerably 
astonished at the Spartan self-confidence of our men. 

About ten o'clock a dense pillar of smoke was seen to rise 
from Fort Sumter, whilst the flag was lowered half-mast high, 
as a signal that the fort was in distress. The United States 
vessels, which had drifted away during the storm, had again 
collected together near the bar, and made signals to Fort 
Sumter. Major Anderson returned the compliment by tele- 



MAJOE ANDERSON CAPITULATES. 29 

graphing back to them that he stood in need of speedy help. 
Meanwhile the fire which had broken out within the fort had 
spread to the barracks and officers' quarters. The sudden 
cessation of fire from its batteries was hailed by a loud cheer 
from our troops, for all now anticipated the moment when 
Major Anderson and his garrison would surrender uncondi- 
tionally to the triumphant Beauregard and his valiant army. 

Notwithstanding that the firing from Fort Sumter had 
ceased, our troops kept up theii-s with renewed energy, as if 
they feared that this harmless amusement would too soon be 
over. As the smoke and flames in the fort increased, Gene- 
ral Beauregard, true on this occasion to his chivalrous char- 
acter, despatched one of his adjutants, bearing a flag of truce, 
to Major Anderson, with the message that he trusted the 
latter would not take it in bad part if he had done him 
serious damage, and that in case the Major could not master 
the fire in the fort by the unaided efforts of his men, he should 
be most willing to send him a detachment of his own troops 
to help him to do so. 

Major Anderson now thought fit to discontinue further 
resistance, and ordered the white flag to be hoisted as a sign 
of capitulation, 

I confess that at this moment my sense of military honor 
suffered a keen pang on beholding the flag of the United States 
lowered, and supplanted by the little flag of the Palmetto 
State of South Carolina. 

In this manner did Major Anderson surrender a stronghold 
of the Republic, when he ought rather to have buried himself 
under its ruins than have given it up in so pusillanimous a 
manner. What could have been the motive that impelled 
him to commit so disgraceful an act I could not possibly 
conceive. His garrison, during a thirty hours' bombardment, 
suffered no loss in either killed or wounded ; he had ammu- 
nition and provisions enough for full twenty days ; the works 
were in a good state of defence ; moiisover, outside the bar 



30 WAR PICTIERES. 

was a squadron of United States ships of sufficient force to 
give him confidence and eventual succor. 

That little Armada could undoubtedly have soon found a 
favorable moment to get in motion, and enable him to 
obtain better conditions than an imconditional surrender.* 
He could indeed have claimed more favorable conditions 
from any enemy, however powerful, if he had but resolved 
to decline all proposals for at least a week, and with the ad- 
vantages he, had, he could have defied superior numbers for 
that space of time. But the commandant of Fort Sumter? 
by thus prematurely yielding — imcrippled as he was, except 
by his own want of resolution — degraded himself in the eyes 
of all military men — in Europe at least. 

Meantime the news of the capitulation spread like wildfire 
through Charleston, and, as may be imagined, created the 
greatest sensation. The church bells began to peal, and the 
cheers and shouts ^nd the bombastic boasting and speechify- 
ing of men in a condition of mind more like that of lunatics 
than reasonable beings, produced a most disagreeable impres- 
sion upon me. 

Couriers were despatched with the astounding news of the 
fall of Fort Sumter throughout the length and breadth of the 
land, and drove the excited population everywhere into a 
state of frenzied delight. 

When Major Anderson left the fort, where he had sullied 
his military reputation, he delivered up his sword to Gene- 
ral Beauregard, ^vho, in the politest manner, returned it to 
him with some well-turned complimentary remarks upon the 
gallant defence he had made. The Major and the whole of 
his garrison were allowed free passage to New York, and on 
their leaving the fort the United States flag was saluted with 
a salvo of fifty guns. It would seem as if enough powder 

* The fort was surrendered because the provisions were exhausted. The com- 
mand took their arms and all private and company property, saluted the flag as it 
was lowered, and were conveyed to any Northern port they desired. — Ain. Ed. 



LINCOLN'S WARLIKE PEOCLAMATION. 31 

had not been already wasted in this sham fighting affair, and 
sa it was deemed advisable to get up a sort of spectacle at 
the conclusion. 

Whilst this complimentary salute was being fired, two of 
the guns burst, thereby causing four of Major Anderson's 
men to be mortally wounded. This was the only blood shed 
during the whole of the operations connected with the capture 
of the redoubtable Fort Sumter. 

This siege and bombardment of Fort Sumter will occupy a 
conspicuous and not very enviable space in military annals. 
It will, hereafter, surely be deemed incredible that a bom- 
bardment which lasted forty-eight hours, and in which more 
than 500 missiles from powerful guns were fired, came to a 
close without causing a single casualty on either side ! 

The fall of Fort Sumter did not -produce the slightest 
effect upon President Lincoln and his Government ; on the 
contrary, he, as well as the population of the Northern States 
thought fit to pay the highest honors to Major Anderson. 
The President promoted him to the rank of brigadier-general 
and his friends hurried in crowds to pay their respects to him 

Some two years have elapsed since that disgraceful capitu- 
lation. The name of General Anderson is all but forgotten 
and he has not again appeared on any battle field. 

On the 14th April, 1861, President Lincoln issued his 
declaration of war. It is couched in earnest and dignified 
terfns, and runs as follows : 

" Whereas,, the laws of the United States have been for 
some time past, and now are, opposed, and the execution 
thereof obstructed in the States of South Carolina, Georgia, 
Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, by 
combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary 
course of judicial proceedings, or by the powers invested in 
the marshals by law ; 

" Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the 



32 ~ WAR PICTURES. 

United States, in virtue of the power in me vested by the 
constitution and the laws, have thought fit to call forth, and 
hereby do call forth, the militia of the several States of the 
Union, to the aggregate number of seventy-five thousand, in 
order to suppress said combinations, and to cause the laws to 
be duly executed. 

" The details for this object will be immediately commu- 
nicated to the State authorities through the War Depart- 
ment. 

" I appeal to all loyal citizens to favor, facilitate, and aid 
this effor-t to maintain the honor, the integrity, and the ex- 
istence of our National Union, and the perpetuity of popular 
government, and to redress wrongs already long enough 
endured. 

" I deem it proper to say that the first service assigned to 
the forces hereby called forth will probably be to repossess 
the forts, places, and property which have been seized from 
the Union ; and in every event the utmost care will be ob- 
served, consistently with the objects aforesaid, to avoid any 
devastation and destruction of or interference with property, 
or any disturbance of peaceful citizens in any part of the 
country. And I hereby command the persons composing the 
combinations aforesaid to disperse and retire peaceably to 
their respective abodes within twenty days from this date. 

" Abraham Lincoln." 

In my opinion, this proclamation did not protest vigor- 
ously enough against the conduct of the Southern seceding 
States. President Lincoln ought to have seen, from their enei*- 
getic preparations, that Jefierson Davis and his supporters 
Avere exerting every nerve to do battle with the Union. He 
ought to have called out for active service, not 75,000 men, 
but half a million, and another half million as a reserve. By 
so doing, he Avould have given a guarantee to some hundi-ed 
thousand of dismayed Unionists in the South that he was re- 



EXCITEMENT AT RICHMOND. 33 

solved in earnest to support and protect all loyal subjects 
throughout the Union. 

At Montgomery, President Lincoln's proclamation was 
received with contempt and derision ; illusion reached so far, 
indeed, that it was rumored the seat of the Confederate Gov- 
ernment might shortly be transferred to Washington, as it 
was confidently hoped that they would make very short work 
with the United States. Disaffection to the Union now spread 
rapidly, and one State after another refused passage to the 
forces of the United States. Maryland alone, of the Southern 
States, represented by Governor Hicks, promised the Presi- 
dent to support him with troops, in his endeavors to compel 
the seceding States to rejoin the Union by force of arms. At 
the same time, Governor Hicks issued a proclamation to the 
citizens, calling upon them to await quietly and patiently the 
course of events, as he would soon give them an opportunity, 
through the election of members for Congress, of expressing 
their opinion whether they wished to remain true to the Ee- 
public of the United States, or whether they wished to range 
themselves on the side of the Confederate Government. 

My mission in South Carolina having terminated with the 
fall of Fort Sumter, I returned forthwith to the State of Vir- 
ginia, to watch the course of events there. 

On the 15th of April, after nearly three months' absence, 
I arrived safely at Richmond. The appearance of the good 
old State of Virginia had undergone a complete change. As 
I entered its capital, my attention was at once attracted to the 
motley mass of adventurers who had flocked here from every 
part of the Confederacy ; Baltimore, especially, being well 
represented. These gentry had positively taken possession 
of the city, as well as the State, and were powerful enough to 
overawe the Government. 

The fall of Fort Sumter, and the bombastic reports issued 
in all quarters, glorifying the bravery of the troops of South 
Carolina, under their great leader, Beauregard, put these vaga- 
2* 



34 WAR PICTTJEES. 

bonds into the greatest state of ecstasy. They compelled the 
inhabitants to illuminate the city in honor of the renowned 
victory, under the threat that all windows not lit up were to 
be smashed, and the occupants of the houses ill treated and 
handed over to the tender mercies of the rabble. Money and 
promises from the Government at Montgomery were not 
wanting to aggravate this sad state of thmgs. At every cor- 
ner of a street, bar-room brawlers, seasoning their speeches 
with oaths and curses, might be heard prophesying that on 
the following day Virginia must leave the Union. An inter- 
view, which I had on the very evening of my arrival, with 
Governor Letcher, who had not escaped insult from the law- 
less i-abble, smd with the Hon. John Minor Botts, gave me 
some hope, however, that the Government of the State of 
Virginia would make an appeal to the loyal citizens of the 
United States. Meantime, all that could be done was to await 
quietly the course of events. 

On the following morning, the 18th April, tumultuous 
crowds assembled at the Capitol, in the square in front of 
Governor Letcher's house, and, amidst shouts of execration 
and defiance, demanded the removal of the United States ban- 
ner, and that the flag of the Confederacy should be forthwith 
hoisted in its place. One fellow in this unruly mob was too 
impatient to wait for formal compliance with this demand, so, 
rushing up the steps of the Capitol, and climbing on to the 
roof, he attempted to naount the flagstaff that he might tear 
down the flag of the Union, encouraged and cheered in his 
efforts by the tumultuous multitude below. He had nearly 
reached the top when he slipped, and falling on the roof, was 
severely hurt. This was a bad omen. Shortly afterward a 
detachment of soldiers was ordered to the spot to keep the 
crowd in order. In the afternoon, however, the mob increased 
to such an extent that the small knot of respectable citizens, 
who resolutely aided the soldiers in their efforts to keep order, 
\vere driven back, the Capitol taken by storm, the flag of the 
I'liioii torn down, and that of the Confederacy hoisted. 



SECESSION OF VIRGINIA. 35 

I could not but feel moved at this outrageous act of the 
populace, in thus ignominiously hauling down the flag of the 
Republic, under which 1 had found a refuge and a home, espe- 
cially when I saw how deeply affected were many of the by- 
standers of both sexes — loyal adherents of the Union — on 
witnessing the occurrence. 

The separation of Virginia from the Union created the 
greatest enthusiasm amongst those States which had already 
seceded, for the Confederacy now counted ten States under its 
iron rule. By the secession of the State of Virginia, — which 
'throughout the whole country, not only from its great extent 
and prosperity, but from its historical associations and the 
eminent statesmen it had produced, enjoyed so high a reputa- 
tion, — the Government at Montgomery hoped effectually to 
supersede that of Washington. It was firmly believed, more- 
over, that the State of Maryland, would take advantage of this 
opportunity to leave the Union, and that the Government at 
Washington would be compelled to remove its seat further 
northward. All the inducements held out, whether by bribery 
or otherwise, failed, however, to shake the stanch honesty and 
strong will of Governor Hicks, who was determined to remain 
true to the cause of the Republic. 



36 WAE PICTUKES. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE EIOT AT BALTIMORE. 



Consequences of the secession of Vii'ginia— The Confederate Government is trans- 
ferred from Montgomeiy to Richmond — Eiot at Baltimore — Movement of the 
troops. 

It ought not to Le matter for astonishment that the Govern- 
ment of Washmgton was greatly incensed at the secession of 
Virginia from the Union, for the consequence of that act was 
that the States of Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina 
quickly followed, and therehy the Confederate Government 
was sufficiently strengthened to carry on the war on a grand 
scale. All the railways were voluntarily placed at the 
disposal of that Govenmient ; and it certainly made the hest 
use of this generous ofter. The Congress at Montgomery 
authorized the Government to contract a loan of five million 
dollars, which was subscribed for immediately. In all the 
States which had of late seceded, regiments were raised 
zealously and at much personal sacrifice. All the male pop- 
ulation between the ages of eighteen and forty years pressed 
forward to be enrolled under the Confederate banner ; and, 
indeed, many men of even sixty years of age would not be 
deterred from taking up arms for their new Government. It 
is at the same time true that many regiments were only thus 
suddenly raised because a number of dues and charges were 
bound up and comiected with their formation. Everybody 



VIEGI]!7IA THE SEAT OF WAE. 37 

was enthusiastic in support of the war ; in my opinion, 
however, not so much for the sake of fighting in defence of 
the Confederacy, as from the opinion that, their States having 
seceded, matters would be soon, if they were not already, 
arranged ; and none looked forward to the terrible events 
vv^hich were to follow. A great ipany persons availed them- 
selves of their military position in order to travel on their 
business avocations, or to make little pleasure excursions at 
the Government's expense. Eqviipped in stately uniforms, 
and armed to the teeth with excellent weapons from the 
military storehouses, which had all been seized by the insur- 
gent Government, these gallant soldiers strutted about without 
any apparent fear or alarm. It was a kind of general mas- 
querade or carnival. That this was to be succeeded by the 
stern reality of war, with its bloodshed and misery, never 
seemed to enter any one's mind. That a future was ap- 
proaching replete with disaster to the country, which would 
break up all unity and concord, and lead to the derision of 
their enemies and the Inexpressible sorrow of their friends, 
was not thought of. 

After a while the Government began to put a little 
military order into this chaos, by placing detachments of 
troops in the forts of Charleston, Pensacola, Morgan, Jackson, 
Philip, and Pulaski ; whilst all the forces of the different 
States belonging to the Confederacy were ordered to the 
State of Virginia, which latter had been selected for the 
theatre of war. On the 20th of May, the seat of Government 
was transferred from Montgomery, Alabama, to Eichmond, 
Virginia ; and Jefferson Davis, the benefactor elect of the 
people, made his entry into Richmond amidst the vocifera- 
tions of his friends and worshippers. 

Richmond, the capital of the State of Virginia, and, virtu- 
ally, indeed, of the whole South, was at this time, as regards 
its resources in mechanical industry, quite in its infancy, 
particularly as respects the manufacture of arms, for which 



38 WAE PICTURES. 

the Confederates would indeed have been badly off, had it not 
been for the opportune aid they received from J. B. Tloyd, 
the late United States Secretary of War, who helped them in 
their dilemma, dexterously contriving to transfer 115,000 
excellent muskets and rifles from the United States military 
stores at Springfield and Waterford to the camp of the 
Secessionists. Thus, at the commencement of the war the 
South had, thanks to Mr. Floyd's good offices, from 150,000 
to 200,000 muskets ready for the equipment of their troops. 

The Government at Washington was not idle whilst these 
movements were occurring in the South, and assembled large 
bodies of ti'oops. And it cannot be denied that, during the 
confusion and disorder with which it was at first surrounded, 
the people of the Northern States generally manifested the 
same kind of patriotic devotion as had been shown in the 
days of the great Revolution. The men who first responded 
to the call of their President were the volunteer militia regi- 
ments of Massachusetts, who hurried to Washington for the 
protection of their President and the Republic. The first 
regiment, on arriving at the railway station of Baltimore, was 
obliged, in order to reach the station of the railway for Wash- 
ington, to traverse the city ; a portion of the regiment was 
then conveyed by the horse tramway, the rest being obliged 
to walk. On the news arriving of the approach of these 
troops, the vagabond population of the place, always ready 
for mischief, became highly excited ; whilst the police, 
although well acquainted with the intentions of the mob, 
offered little or no opposition. This passive conduct of the 
police authorities can only be construed as actually favoring 
the riot. Encouraged by this inactivity, and excited by 
drink, the leaders of the mob proceeded to violent acts. The 
rails were torn up, and barricades erected in the sti-eets ; 
whilst a part of the rioters, with the Confederate flag at their 
head, threw themselves in the way of the military, in order 
to dispute the passage through the town ; and stones were 



RIOT AT BALTIMOKB. 89 

thrown at the soldiers, as they were proceeding quietly, on 
their way. Although the officer commanding the troops ex- 
horted the people to let them pass quietly and unmolested, 
his efforts were in vain, and he was received with groans, 
hisses, and abuse. This officer maintained perfect self-posses- 
sion ; but when the soldiers were assailed by the mob, and 
showers of stones increased, he ordered the drums to beat 
and the meia to make ready; and presently, at the word 
" Fire ! " a deadly volley was discharged at the rioters, who, 
armed with knives and revolvers, commenced a regular 
struggle with the military. The soldiers forced their way, 
despite repeated attacks, to the railway station, with the loss 
of but few men. There, however, they found awaiting them 
a still more enraged multitude. The directors of the railway 
had, meanwhile, not been inactive, having hurriedly collected 
carriages for the conveyance of the troops to Washington. 
Nevertheless, the train was stopped, and the scene at the 
station became terrific. The soldiers, having taken -their 
seats in the carriages, the mob continued to abuse them, 
threatening them with their knives and revolvers, howling 
and cursing at them incessantly. The police at last made 
some show of interfering, but without effecting much good ; 
and the people were by this time so excited, that any attempt 
at expostulation was more calculated to Inflame than to soothe 
them. 

The train got off at last, leaving the populace howling and 
raging at the escape of its intended victims ; and to compen- 
sate for this they completely demolished the station. As the 
train was moving off, some soldiers fired into the people, who 
were collected on each side ; and, as is but too frequently the 
case on such occasions, many fell who had taken no active 
part in the riot. Several respectable citizens of Baltimore 
paid for their curiosity with their lives, and many others were 
dangerously wounded. The revolutionary party in Baltimore, 
of which we have already had occasion to speak, now devel- 



40 WAR PICTURES. 

oped itself and proceeded to great extremities. The railway- 
bridge over the Susquehanna was burnt down, and Governor 
Hicks forced unwillingly to join in the movement against the 
President and the Washington Government. He did not, 
however, allow himself to be led astray by these would-be 
representatives of the people of Maryland ; and before long 
placed four regiments at the disposal of the Union Govern- 
ment. For a long while subsequent to these events great dis- 
order and discontent continued to prevail at Baltimore. 

Baltimore had to submit to the military power of the 
Union, whilst the revolutionary element migrated further 
south. The railroads were soon put in order again, and they 
enabled the Government to forward from 4,000 to 5,000 men 
daily to Washington. The Southern party in Maryland pro- 
tested in vain against the passage of these troops, as also 
against the military authorities, who had now taken posses- 
sion of Baltimore and its fortifications. President Lincoln 
let them protest as much as they liked, and quietly pursued 
his course. General Butler, who was named Military Gover- 
nor of Maryland, was a proper man to reestablish quiet and 
order after the riotous proceedings which had taken place. 
The mayor of the city of Baltimore and all the chiefs of the 
police were dismissed and sent into the. fortress as prisoners, 
and all rebels and criminals brought before a military tri- 
bunal, so that in a short time peace and tranquillity were 
restored. 

In the North nothing was heard of but preparations for 
the war, and " Down with the rebels ! " was the general watch- 
word. Nobody seemed, however, to take the trouble to solve 
the problem of how this end was to be accomplished. 

To prove in black and white that the North had a greater 
population and more wealth than the South — that it possessed 
a navy — seemed to be every man's favorite occupation ; in- 
deed, the merchants in the North Avent so far as to announce 
as an unquestionable fact, that the South would surely be 



CONFIDENCE OP THE NORTH. 41 

starved, if they resolved simply to withhold corn and other 
articles of consumption from them. 

The Avarlike plans of the North at this time may be thus 
succinctly summed up : 

Simply to send 25,000 men across the Potomac to march 
on Richmond ; to send another body of 25,000 men to Cairo 
on the Mississippi ; to close all communications with the 
West ; and to keep 25,000 more men as a reserve force. 

In short, the journalists of the North had planned their 
strategical movements with such nicety and military genius, 
that a mere parade and march was all that was required for 
the subjugation of the half-starved Southerners. . Soldiers 
were only enlisted for three months ; and it was hoped and 
expected that the whole campaign would be over in that time. 
President Lincoln, however, fortunately did not allow himself 
to be led astray by these newspaper vagaries ; and issued a 
second proclamation, calling out a further body of 45,000 
men to serve for the time the war should last ; giving orders 
at the same time for ten additional regiments to the regular 
army, and for an augmentation of 18,000 men in the navy. 
From all this it was clearly to be deduced that President 
Lincoln fully foresaw the dangers and difficulties of the task 
he had before him. As soon as a sufficient body of troops 
had been assembled at Washington, they received orders to 
cross the Potomac immediately, and to proceed along the 
Orange and Alexandria Eailway in the direction of Richmond ; 
whilst another column was sent from Pennsylvania through 
Maryland into the valleys of Virginia. The first military act 
was the occupation of the not unimportant town of Alexan- 
dria, which was effected on the 24th of May ; on which the 
Southern troops fell back to the Manassas Junction, Gen- 
eral Bonham assuming the command of those from SoutJi 
Carolina. 



42 WAK PICTUEES. 



CHAPTER III. 

destruction: of the fleet at Portsmouth. 

Proclamation of President Lincoln — Virginia the seat of War — General Leo com' 
mander-in-chief— Destruction of Harper's Ferry — Estahlishicents at Ports- 
mouth — Burning of the fleet. 

On the I9tli April, 1861, President Lincoln issued a procla- 
mation, in which he declared all ports of the Southern States 
under blockade. Hostilities between the North and South 
had therefore regularlj commenced ; troops were drawn to- 
gether on both sides, and Virginia was generallj acknowledged 
to be the chief seat of the war. It now became the endeavor 
of both parties to inflict as much damage as possible on each 
other ; and this frequently" was carried out with such a spirit 
of Vandalism as to shock the civilized world. One of these 
acts was the destruction of the fleet at Portsmouth ; and I 
will endeavor to describe tjiis event in a few words. 

Immediately after the publication of President Lincoln's 
proclamation, President Jefferson Davis appointed the quon- 
dam United States colonel of cavalry, Robert E. Lee, com- 
mander-in-chief of all the forces in Virginia. The troops of 
the United States army abandoned Harper's Ferry, one of 
the most important manufactories of arms in America, on the 
19th of April, after destroying the greater part of the build- 
ings and machinery, and retreated to friendly territory. This 
destruction of property was, however, carried out so hurried- 



BESTEUCTION OF SHIPS A.T PORTSMOUTH. 43 

ly, that a great many most valuable machines fell into the 
hands of the Confederate Government almost wholly intact, 
dnd they rendered very good service subsequently. 

Great preparations were on the same day made at Rich- 
mond for the purpose of attacking the harbor of Portsmouth, 
which is situated at the estuary of the James river. The 
officers and Government officials of the harbor, who were 
pre informed of this plan, lost no time in consummating their 
preparations for the destruction of this, the greatest military 
port of the United States. The officers in command, instead 
of endeavoring to hold these works for their Government, 
seemed to have become quite bewildered, and incapable of 
recognizing the great importance of their position; so in the 
face of the most favorable circumstances they condemned to 
the flames that fine military harbor, on which all the former 
Governments of the United States had spent millions of dol- 
lars in order to render it one of the first in America. 

It was a grand and imposing spectacle to see the columns 
of flame ascending from the majestic ships at anchor in the 
port and in course of construction in the docks. Amongst 
the ships lying there were, the line-of-batt^e ship Pennsyl- 
vania, of 3,500 tons, carrying 131 guns (once the largest 
man-of-war in the world), the beautiful frigates Columbus and 
Dclaioare, and the subsequently so-dreaded Merrimac. The 
frigate Raritan and schooner Dolphin were consumed by the 
flames, and the docks, which had cost millions of dollars, were 
blown up. The signal for this general destruction Avas given 
at midnight ; and in a few minutes these magnificent produc- 
tions of the energy and genius of man were encircled by a 
girdle of flame ; and a slight breeze which sprang up increased 
the conflagration rapidly. The naval workmen and the whole 
garrison were meanwhile busily employed in conveying valu- 
ables on board the two vessels. Pawnee and Cumberland, 
which were riding at anchor, and both vessels were laden to 
the very portholes. At four o'clock in the morning the tide 



44 WAR PICTURES.' 

turned, and a signal sent up by a rocket from the Pawnee an 
nounced to the men in the dockyard that the moment had 
arrived for consummating the work of destruction, and in a 
few minutes the dockyard was one blaze of flames — a truly 
grand but saddening spectacle. The crackling of the fire and 
rustling of the flames, the falling of the masts, the explosion 
of the ships doomed to destruction, the blowing up of the 
buildings, which had been undermined — in fact, the whole of 
this gigantic work of destruction — was a catastrophe on which I 
cannot look back, even now, after the time that has elapsed, 
without a shudder. It was one of those silly and cowardly 
acts of destruction which, while causing no harm to the enemy, 
crippled their own Government, and caused them irremediable 
loss. Had the commandant of this place, his officers, and the 
garrison of the naval dockyard of Portsmouth, understood 
how to preserve this valuable and important place to their 
Government and country, their names would have lived in 
history, and been gratefully recorded in the hearts of their 
countrymen. They might well have waited for the indulgence 
of this strange eagerness for destruction until the moment of 
attack, instead of forestalling that event by the premature 
sacrifice of the accumulated wealth of so noble a harbor. 
The military port and harbor of Portsmouth ceased to exist 
on the 20th of April, 1861, and the country around was light- 
ed up for miles as the Paionee and frigate Cumberland sailed 
down the bay, laden with the valuables saved from the fiery 
wreck, to seek shelter under the guns of Fortress Monroe. 



BATTLE OF BETHEL. 45 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE BATTLE OF BETHEL. 



The Southern troops, about 1,800 strong, had, under the cona- 
mand of General B. Magruder, constructed defensive works in 
the vicinity of the church of Bethel : which place is about 
nine miles distant from Hampton, where the enemy's troops 
had established their camp. On the 9th of May, Major-Gen- 
eral Butler, who commanded the Federal troops, sent forward 
a detachment of 4,000 men, who were to advance on Bethel 
in two separate columns, with the view, if possible, of driving 
away the enemy and destroying the defensive works which 
they had erected. The command was given to Colonel Pierce. 
The first column crossed the river a little below the Southern 
posts, whilst the second column effected a similar passage 
lower down. . No opposition whatever was made to the land- 
ing of these troops ; and while the first column was attacking 
the Confederate troops in flank, the second assailed them in 
front. A battery of Richmond mortars, under the personal 
command of Major Randolph (now Secretary of War) opposed 
the attack. On this day Major Randolph gave the first proofs 
of his undaunted courage, and gallantly maintained his post. 
In the meanwhile the Federal troops attacked with such reso- 
lution that they succeeded in gaining possession of the first 
outwork without suflfering much loss, and our soldiers were 
obliged to retreat in disorder, and with the loss of two pieces 



48 WAE PICTUEES. 

of artillery. This impetuous attack of the enemy somewhat 
dismayed our young and inexperienced soldiers, who were 
frightened, moreover, at the numbers of the attacking force, 
and not considering that a covered position has a threefold 
advantage, they rapidly abandoned that position, throwing 
themselyes into the principal work, which lay to the rear. 
The enemy took a firm footing in the stormed outposts ; in- , 
deed, the Confederates were very near losing their whole line 
of fortified works, and the troops became so disheartened that 
the consequences would certainly have been most disastrous, 
had not General Magruder, with great presence of mind and 
calmness, ordered four companies of the 1st North Carolina 
regiment, under the command of Major Bridges, to retake 
the outwork at all hazards. This order was splendidly carried 
out by the fbur companies. They advanced with coolness and 
determination, in the flice of a heavy fire of artillery, which 
assailed them from the front, and on arriving within sixty 
yards' distance of the outwork, with loud hurrahs, they ad- 
vanced at a run to the attack, and dislodged the Federal sol- 
diers who held possession of it, with the greatest ease, causing 
them to retreat in the greatest disorder, leaving what they had 
but just before stormed in the hands of the Confederates. 

The enemy continued to keep up an uninterrupted "fusilade, 
which, however, being directed in a most irregular manner, 
inflicted but little loss on the Confederate troops. Whilst we 
established ourselves again in the reconquered outwork, our 
batteries reopened their fire — not, however, with much effect, 
the enemy's position being too well covered. His right flank 
leaned on a small, but dense wood, and his left was closed by 
some houses. A twelve-pounder battery responded to our 
own ; it was, however, so well hidden by the wood and the 
houses, that we were only enabled to guess its position from 
its fire. The enemy's battery sent forth a hail of projectiles 
at us from a distance of from five hundred to six hundred 
yards ; but, fortunately for us, their practice was so bad that 



BATTLE OF BETHEL. 47 

the damage occasioned by this continual fire was inconsidera- 
ble. General Magruder at the same time ordered the com- 
mander of our batteries only to reply to the enemy's fire 
with the utmost care, and when large masses of troops ap- 
peared in line of battle. A little after one o'clock a large 
column of the enemy was descried on the road from Hamp- 
ton, hastening to reach a small bridge in our front. This 
column was under the command of Major Winthrop, the first 
adjutant of General Butler. Major Winthrop led his men 
on to the attack admirably, and they advanced boldly against 
our outposts, but were received with such a tremendous fire 
from the 1st North Carolina, Infantry, that they were hurled 
back in complete disorder. 

Our marksmen, who were under fire for the first time, oc- 
casioned us no small confusion. They were utterly wanting 
in self-confidence,, and would inquire before each shot, " May 
I fire 1 I think I can hit him," &c. As the enemy was being 
repulsed, a ball struck Major Winthrop in the breast. He 
was one of the most meritorious of&cers of the United States 
army, and his gallantry earned for him the admiration of our 
officers and soldiers. Colonel Hill, commanding the 1st 
North Carolina regiment, paid a high tribute to the memory 
of this brave officer, in his report of the battle. Major Win- 
throp fell while vainly endeavoring, from a height, to rally 
his discomfited men. The United States lost in him a most 
excellent officer. During the hottest part of the fire, a small 
body of the enemy had ensconced themselves in a house to 
our left, and occasioned us much annoyance by their inter- 
mittent fire. 

A company of volunteers was ordered to clear this house 
of its troublesome occupants, and to raze it to the ground. 
This work was performed with consummate coolness and en- 
ergy. The volunteers boldly attacked the house, and dis- 
lodged the enemy, who availed themselves of every aperture 
to fire on them. 



48 AVAR riCTURKS. 

Aflor a M'liilo tlio oiioiny oo;isod iirinp;, ;ind lonving their 
dead avul wouudod on the ilold, rotroatod in linsto boyond 
rango of our guns. The results i^f I ho battle of Bofhol wero 
of ino;ih'id;i.l)h> advan(;igo 1('> owv troops, as it insjnrod ihom 
Nvith oroat oontuhMiot^ in thoirown oapalMlitios. Ahhouijh our 
liltl(> nnny <^-ium-;iI1_v lu-hnvod moU aiul gallantly in iho faoo 
ot' an ononiy doubK> its striMi;;th on this ilay, vot. tho boaruig 
ol' tho 1st North (Carolina roginiont is especially \\H>rthy of 
|M-aiso. as it was tho most exposed of all onr oorps to the fire 
of tho onomy's artilltM'y, and behaved wiili the groatost cool- 
ness and d(>tern\iuation. 



COLONEL rOiniOlili'lKLl). 49 



C 11 APT Eli V. 

OOLONKL VOUTERFIKLO'h VOI.UNTIOEKS. 

WiiTT,sT llio. South WJis thus showing u iVoiit to the enemy in 
the Virginiuu Feuiusiihi, and earning its respect, it met with a 
reverse in the West, which nearly obliged the Confedorato 
(loverunuMit to withdraw further soutli Cnnw Rielnnond. 

(^)h)ii(>l I'orterfu'hl, coninianding the Confederate fore(>s at 
Philippi, received an order from General Loo, the conunand- 
cr-in-ehii'f of tlie army in Virginia, to raise tho volunteers to 
tho strength of 5,000 men, and to act in concert with the oHi- 
cials of tho Baltimore and Ohio railway. 

General Lee had, however, quite misunderstood the cluu-- 
acter of Colonel Portorfield, who was ono of that numerous 
class of lieroes that discourse much and profess to execute all 
kinds of impossibilities, but are at a loss how to act at tho 
first really serious encounter. I\)i-t(u-ncld was truly a, fuie 
example of such heroes. He had no sooner arrived in the 
<listrict, in wiiich he was to i*ecruit, than he discovered that all 
flui counties wen^ very favoi'aJ)Iy disposed to the Union. 
His first move therefore was, to enseonee himscslf in a com- 
paratively safe nook, and instead of proceeding to act with 
energy and circumspection, he addressed a most wonderful 
hotter to General Leo. In this letter poor Portorfield de- 
scribed himself as surrounded on all sides by thousands of 
onenuej, and begged the (uMieral to send him. a. sullicieiit mili- 
3 



60 WAE PICTtJEES. 

tary force, that he might be enabled to proceed effectively 
•with the organization of the volunteers. It was only after 
receiving reinforcements, that Colonel Porterfield actually 
commenced organizing his army. This beginning, however, 
showed but poor results, and the general reply which he re- 
ceived to his invitations to join the Confederacy was given in 
the negative by the people, coupled with the intimation that 
if they did want to fight they should do so in defence of the 
Union. 

Colonel Porterfield strolled through the mountains of Vir- 
ginia, like a minstrel of the olden time, exhorting the popula- 
tion to join the gallant army to which he belonged, and to 
follow the banner of the exalted Government of the Confede- 
ration. After resorting to numerous expedients, he succeeded 
in gathering under his flag a wonderful assemblage of raga- 
muffins. In a short time his little army had increased to 200 
infantry and 300 cavalry, and at Grafton he pitched his tents. 
As soon as the United States general was informed of the 
circumstance, he brolce up his carap, and overcoming all diffi- 
culties, advanced straight against Porterfield's force. 

When informed of the enemy's advance, Porterfield might 
have fallen back on Philippi, and he did actually order the 
destruction of the Cheat bridge. This order was, however, 
imperfectly carried out. Even his outposts were so carelessly 
placed, as to betray an utter ignorance of military tactics ; 
thus it befel that the enemy came upon him like a thunder- 
bolt, when he and all his men indiscriminately took to their 
heels. 

Throwing away their arms, all Porterfield's levies fled for 
safety to the mountains, andthe Colonel himself, who on this 
occasion displayed an activity of movement quite surprising, 
arrived at General Lee's headquarters more dead than alive. 
The poor Colonel had positively nothing to say either for him- 
self or for his men, further than to affirm that his little force had 
been attacked by overwhelming numbers, and that they had 



COLONEL PORTERFIELD. 'Jl 

fought like lions ; that his army might be, for all he knew, 
cnt to pieces. This was the sum total of the account he had 
to give of himself and his followers. The Colonel could not 
explain how he alone had managed to escape and reach head- 
quarters. He was subsequently brought before a court mar- 
tial at Richmond, but gave so clever an explanation of his 
conduct, that the members of that court, who, possibly from 
a fellow feeling for the accused, not only acquitted him of all 
blame, but also bestowed their praise upon him for his valor- 
ous conduct. 



62 WAE PICTUEES. 



CHAPTER VI. 

m'clellan's success at rich mouktain. 

state of affairs in Western Virginia — The Confederate army under General Gar- 
nett — M'Clellan's plans — The ground in Virginia — Strength of the Southern 
army — Attack — General Rosecrans remains behind — Colonel Pegram^M'Clel- 
lan's indefatigable pursuit — Retreat — Surprise — The engagement at Carrick's 
Ford — Colonel Tagliaferro— A mistake— General Garnett falls— Loss of artillery 
and baggage — Disorganized state of the Confederate army — M'CleUan's talents. 

Whilst the events just described were taking place in Win- 
chester and Manassas, a great change had occurred at the 
theatre of war in Western Virginia. What under all circum- 
stances may be considered as a large army of the Confederates, 
had been collected, and the command intrusted to General 
Garnett, who at Rich Mountain, Randolph County, North- 
western Virginia, took up a position admirably adapted by 
nature, from whence he could without any anxiety watch the 
movements of General M'Clellan, who was advancing on 
Beverley, and had not masked his intention to take up a posi- 
tion in General Garnett's rear, so as to cut off his communi- 
cations with General Lee, No military man in Europe can 
form any idea of the position and circumstances of this West- 
ern campaign, unless he possesses an accurate knowledge of 
the terrain upon which the military movements took place. 
The whole of Western Virginia consists of barren, unpro- 
ductive, mountainous tracts, intersected by strips of forest 
land. The roads and means of communication are of the 



m'clellan's first command. 63 

most primitive description; and as regards supplies for his 
troops, the General is obliged to draw them from a long dis- 
tance. 

The strength of General Garnett's corps -was from 7,000 
to 8,000 men, infantry, 15 guns, 6-pounders and 12-pounders, 
and 6 squadrons of cavalry. The troops were well armed, 
suited for mountain warfare, and hardened to their work by 
long habit. As already stated, General Garnett's position 
was judiciously chosen and well adapted for an excellent de- 
fensive basis of operations, both by nature and as by the aid 
of art. 

Colonel Pegram, with a body of 3,000 men, took posses- 
sion of the district of Rich Mountain ; whilst General Gar- 
nett, with the main body of his army, took up his position at 
Laurel Hill. ~ 

For this wearisome and tiresome campaign, the Govern- 
ment of the Northern States selected two of the best and 
most experienced officers of the United States army — Gene- 
rals M'Clellan and Rosecrans. It was in this campaign that 
M'Ciellan for the first time drew public attention upon him- 
self, and won the hearts of his men by the circumspection as 
well as by the bravery which he displayed. It was he who 
shook the Federal army out of the lethargy into which it had 
fallen, and led it to a victory which, under other circumstances, 
would have put an end to the existence of the Confederate 
army in the West. 

General M'Clellan, who was well informed of the position 
of the Confederate army, contemplated, by a determined blow, 
on the 5th of July, to annihilate our corps, and thus to put 
an end to the campaign in Western Virginia, which had be- 
come a very troublesome one for the Federals. At a confer- 
ence between the two generals of the enemy's army, the 
following arrangement was made : That M'Clellan should un- 
dertake the front attack, whilst General Rosecrans, with his 
force, was to manoeuvre in such a way to attack the enemj'^'s 



54 WAK PICTrKES. 

army without delay, and endeavor to reach the main body of 
the ai-my by the flank. By combined and energetic action in 
the execution of this plan, it -was hoped that the campaign 
would terminate in the capture of the whole of General Gar- 
nett's division. 

In this campaign. General M'Clellan for the first time ap- 
peared in the character of an independent commander ; and 
we cannot refi-ain from bearing testimony in favor of a man 
who commenced his cai-eer as a leader in so brilliant a man- 
ner. M-Clellan's army was by no means in good campaign- 
ing order ; it consisted of troops gathered together from all 
parts of the Union. Not only were the regiments collected 
and mixed up together from ditierent States, so that the 
troops had scarcely any knoNvledge of each other, but they 
were also unequally and badly armed. Despite these draw- 
backs — so trying to an energetic general — M-Clellan by his 
prudence and precautions overcame them all. 

With care and attention he endeavored to form the spirit 
of his troops, and to make them regardless of fatigue and 
privations. And as soon as he felt that he had gained the 
confidence of his oflicers and men, he did not delay one mo- 
ment to carry out the plans which he had formed. 

On the Sth July he commenced his march with his troops, 
and on the same day took up a position at Bealington, oppo- 
site Laurel Hill, then left a portion of his troops behind as a 
corps of observation, and advanced with the main body in 
rapid strides toward Rich Mountain. This march was one 
of those fatiguing operations which such a coimtry as America 
can alone ofter an example of. Through pathless woods, over 
high hills, thl-ough streams and rivulets, the soldiers had to 
force their way. Added to this, the rain never ceased to pour 
down. Despite all these obstacles the men kept on without 
murmuring ; they overcame every diflieulty with a facility 
which entitled them to an honorable comparison with the 
tried soldiers of Europe. M'Clellan himself was always at 



SUKRENDEK OF COLONEL PEGEAM. 55 

the head of his men, to whom he set a good example by 
cheerfully putting up with every annoyance and privation. 

Early on the morning of the 11th July, General Garnett 
received a despatch from Colonel Pegram, reporting the cap- 
ture of a United States soldier, who had given information 
that General M'Clellan, with nine regiments, had arrived near 
Rich Mountain, and had given orders for the attack to com- 
mence on the following day ; further, that General Rose- 
crans, with 4,000 men, was manoeuvring in his rear, to cut 
off any retreat that might be attempted on the part of Gene- 
ral Garnett ; that consequently he, Colonel Pegram, had or- 
dered Colonel Scott's regiment to take up a good position, 
there to await the enemy's approach. 

On the receipt of Colonel Pegi-am's despatch General Gar- 
nett sent him orders to hold his position against all odds, and 
to defend it to the last man. 

Colonel Pegram had scarcely got his troops placed ready 
for action, when General M'Clellan's men, with a loud cheer, 
rushed forward from a defile and attacked the Colonel in his 
excellent position. At this moment the artillery opened fire, 
which was reechoed by all the mountains round. It was a 
fme military spectacle. The thunder of the guns, the break- 
ing of the branches of the trees as they were smashed, the 
cheers of the enthusiastic Federal troops, the crack of the 
rifles, the beating of drums and clanging of trumpets : in 
short, the wliole battle ground and its vicinity offered a pic- 
ture such as would be indelibly impressed upon the memory 
of a soldier. The battle had waged for nearly two hours on 
this side when Colonel Pegram began to feel that he could 
not hold his ground much longer. He therefore endeavored 
to retreat, as his men were tired and their ammunition nearly 
expended. 

General M'Clellan, however, was by no means inclined to 
lose the ground he had already gained, and thus Colonel Pe- 
gram had no other alternative than to fall at his post or sur- 



56 WAR PICTUEES. 

render. Pegram adopted the latter alternative, and surren- 
dered his post with guns and baggage. 

General M'Clellan, however, was not, as yet, satisfied with 
the result of the day's work. He hourly expected the ad- 
vance of General Rosecrans, but he found that on this occa- 
sion he had overrated his activity. Rosecrans proved timid 
at this emergency : he was swayed by doubts ; he first march- 
ed, then halted, as if he did not quite comprehend the com- 
pleteness of M'CIellan's plans. Jf he had performed his part 
as well as that General did his, not one man of General Gar- 
nett's corps would have brought the news of its defeat to Rich- 
mond ; the whole coi-ps would have been annihilated or made 
prisoners. 

As soon as General M'Clellan had made Colonel Pegram's 
troops lay down their arms, he proceeded to carry out his 
manoeuvre without delay, without waiting for General Rose- 
crans, and accordingly advanced to attack the forces under 
General Garnett. 

When General Garnett received the unexpected news of 
the capitulation of Colonel Pegram, he, fearing the energy 
and determination of M'Clellan, ordered the position on Lau- 
rel Hill to be abandoned, and in all haste fell back on Huttons- 
ville. Colonel Scott, who, with his regiment, had received 
orders to prevent the advance of General Rosecrans, imme- 
diately on receiving intelligence of Colonel Pegram's capitula- 
tion, hastily left his position and withdrew to a more respect- 
able distance from the enemy. Even now, if General Rose- 
crans had, in the spirit of a brave and intelligent officer, car- 
ried out the plan agreed upon, and advanced to the attack, 
there was still plenty of time for him to take a brilliant part 
in the conclusion of the action. Colonel Scott's rapid flight 
must have dispelled any doubts he might have entertained 
respecting the inexperience and bad equipment of his troops. 
There can be no doubt that the conduct of Rosecrans on 
this occasion offers a remarkable contrast to that of General 
M'Clellan. 



FIGHT AT CAEEICK'S FOED. 67 

, General Garnett was placed in a desperate position by 
M'Clellan's bold advance and Colonel Pegram's capture. In 
his retreat on Huttonsville he found that, owing to Colonel 
Scott's somewhat too hasty retreat, he would have to force 
his way over the best practicable mountain passes to Hardy 
County. 

The retreat was effected in some order, although the roads 
were scarcely wide etiough to allow a cart to pass ; and on 
the following morning, the army, after a most fatiguing march, 
reached Little Cheat, where officers and men laid down upon 
the grass to restore themselves, in some degree, from the 
fatigue they had undergone. 

They had scarcely been encamped one hour, when a roll of 
musketry along the whole line of outposts announced that the 
indefatigable enemy was already upon them, and had renewed 
the attack. 

Without allowing his tired soldiers a moment's respite, 
M'Clellan hotly pursued our army, and although continually 
checked and kept at bay, by our gallant reserve, still con- 
tinued the attack with unabated energy. Without hesitation, 
he boldly gave battle at every point ; and although the fight- 
ing cannot be called more than skirmishing on a large scale, 
it, nevertheless, lasted throughout the day. 

In the evening the news came in that a company of a 
Georgia regiment had been cut off by the enemy and made 
prisoners. 

This little episode is known by' the name of Battle of Car- 
rick's Ford. M'Clellan followed it up, and drove our troops 
from their covered position across the river, and captured the 
greater portion of our baggage. 

The activity displayed by the General on this occasion is 
deserving of high praise. Nothing seemed to stand in his 
way ; despite the heavy, intermittent rain, the execrable roads, 
his troops displayed a fortitude and an energy tliat commands 
admiration. For two days, with indefatigable determination, 
3* 



58 WAE PICTURES. 

he followed close upon our heels. Whenever we sought a 
few moments' rest, we were aroused by the fire of his rifle- 
men at our outposts ; and the bullets, which were flying about 
in all directions, made our position anything but comfortable. 

As soon as we had got our artillery safely over Carrick's 
Ford, Colonel Tagliaferro was ordered to occupy the high 
banks of the river with his regiment, and to keep the enemy 
occupied as long as possible, so that our troops, who were 
quite worn out, might get some rest. Colonel Tagliaferro had 
scarcely taken up his position when the advanced skirmishers 
of the enemy appeared in view. At first our men tancied that 
they were the Georgia troops supposed to have been cut off, 
and they welcomed them with a loud cheer ; but when, in- 
stead of a courteous response to this compliment, au un- 
friendly shower of bullets was sent as a greeting, knocking 
over many of our men, the mistake was discovered somewhat 
too late ; but the enemy's fire was promptly returned. The 
officer in command of the enemy's outpost now got one of his 
batteries into position, and hammered away at us most un- 
mercifully. Twice he attempted to cross the river, but was 
each time driven back by our men at the point of the bayonet. 
Whilst this skirmishing was going on, General Garnett had 
ordered the guns and baggage he still had left to be hurried 
forward, and sent orders to the troops engaged to form the 
rear guard of the retreat. 

Our retreat was effected without much opposition, as the 
enemy, probably exhausted by fighting and forced marches, 
and by our energetic resistance, needed rest. At the second 
ford, a short distance beyond the first, General Garnett was 
shot by one of the enemy's riflemen. This officer had scarcely 
got his troops across the river, when he ordered a company 
of the 23d Virginia regiment to occupy the bushes along the 
bank, and promised that he himself would take the command 
of the company charged with the defence of the ford. At the 
same time, firing was heard in the rear of our army. The 



DEATH OF GEJSTEBAL GAKISrETT. 59 

enemy must have outflanked us, and a panic ensued in our 
rear guard. General Garnett, however, remained calm and 
unconcerned. He ordered the soldiers to remain firm, and to 
retreat without fear. He had scarcely given the order when 
he sunk to the earth, shot through the body by a bullet. One 
of the enemy's riflemen had fired the fatal shot which de- 
prived us of one of our bravest officers. The General's horse 
galloped off up the road, besprinkled with blood, announcing 
the sad news of the death of our leader. 

General M'Clellan, who might feel well satisfied with the 
result of the day, here gave up the pursuit. Having defeated 
and demoralized our army, he remained master of a large 
number of prisoners, with the greater portion of our guns 
and baggage as booty. Verily could he report to Washing- 
ton : 

" Our success is complete ; secession in this part of the 
country is stopped." 

The loss of the battle of Rich Mountain was a severe 
blow to our young army, and created a painful sensation 
throughout the Southern States. If the Government at Wash- 
ington had only had the sense to take advantage of this suc- 
cess, it would probably, in a short time, have brought back 
the whole of Virginia under its rule. Instead of staking its 
existence and intrusting the weal and woe of the country to 
the hands of inexperienced generals, it ought at once to have 
shown its appreciation of the talent and energy of General 
M'Clellan, and without hesitation have given him the com- 
mand of the army on the Potomac. Had it done so, the dis- 
aster at Manassas, so detrimental to the Federal cause, might 
have been avoided ; for, after the successes achieved by 
M'Clellan in the western portion of Virginia, he would have 
been received by the troops of the Potomac, not as a stran- 
ger, but as an old acquaintance, with confidence and enthu- 
siasm. The soldiers would then have had a commander whose 
success and devotion must have inspired them with respect, 



60 WAR PICTURES. 

and they would have fulfilled their hard duties with cheerful- 
ness and zeal. 

That the Government at Washington was aware of 
M'Clellan's talents is proved by the fact that, when seriously 
pressed and alarmed, the command of the army of the Poto- 
mac was offered to him at a time when that army was all 
but destroyed, and Washington itself in danger of being cap- 
tured by the Confederates. Then, as we shall presently see, 
when no one had the courage to rally the army which had 
been so terribly cut up at Manassas, when many a bold hero 
shrugged his shoulders and kept aloof, he came forward as a 
saviour of his country's cause, to fill up the sad void caused 
by a disastrous defeat. By prudence and determination he 
soon succeeded in again forming an army which, by its extent 
and efficiency, created considerable alarm in the South. But 
the enemy they had most cause to fear was General M'Clel- 
lan himself, the ablest and best officer of the Union, whose 
military qualities commanded the respect of his opponents. 



THE POTOMAC. 61 



CHAPTER VII. 

MOVEMENTS ON THE POTOMAC, 

Harper's Forry— General Johnston joins the Confederacy— Position of the troops 
oil the Potomac — Harper's Ferry evacuated— The railway bridge blown up— 
Colouol Jaolison operates against General Patterson — Battle — Patterson's cuu- 
ning— AlanceuTre to weaken General Beauregard's main army— Johnston's po- 
sition. 

The war now began to develop itself with activity on the Po- 
tomac, especially in the vicinity of Hax*per's Ferry, which 
had been abandoned by the Federal troops. General Joseph 
Johnston, who previously had held the rank of Quartermas- 
ter-General in the United States arm}^, tendered his resigna- 
tion as soon as the war commenced, and placed himself at the 
disposal of the Confederate Government, which did not hesi- 
tate for a moment to accept his services, and intrusted him 
with the command of the important post of Harper's Ferry. 
On the 27th of JSIay, 1861, General Beauregard was relieved 
of his command at Charleston, and was at first ordered to 
proceed on service to Corinth, in Mississippi ; but whilst on 
his way to Richmond he received counter orders, and was ap- 
pointed to the command of the Confederate army, known by 
the name of the Army of the Potomac. 

General Johnston's whole force at Harper's Ferry con- 
sisted of thirteen regiments of infantry, ten companies of 
cavalry, and seven companies of artillery ; doubtless a re- 



62 WAR PICTURES. 

spectable force. His duty was to watch both banks of the 
Potumac, and to drive back any attempted advance of the 
enemy in that quarter. Having reconnoitred the whole 
neighborhood he resolved to maintain his position as long 
as the Government should deem it necessary for him to do so. 

The demonstrations of the United States troops were 
chiefly confined to outpost skirmishes, and their plans de- 
pended upon the movements of General M'Clellan, who was 
to push forward with his corps (Tarmee into the valleys of 
Virginia, General Patterson^ who was posted with his troops 
in Maryland and Pennsylvania, also waited for General 
M'Clellan's movements, previously to advancing by Harper's 
Ferry on Winchester, to form a junction with M-Clellan's 
army. On the 13th of June our outposts announced the ap- 
proach of General M'Clellan's troops. A detachment was 
at once ordered forward to stop him in his advance, and on 
the 15th of June, early in the morning, the order was given 
to evacuate Harper's Ferry, and to fall back on Winchester. 
The day after the order had been given for the evacuation of 
Harper's Ferry, one of those painful catastrophes occurred, 
which always follow in the wake of war. All the able-bodied 
inhabitants took to flight, and preparations were made to give 
up the whole place to destruction. The first prey to demoli- 
tion was that wonderfully constructed railway bridge which 
here spans the broad streani of the Potomac. At a given 
signal this structure was blown up into the air with a terrific 
explosion. All the buildings connected with it, the station 
engines, locomotives, M'arehouses, as well as a flourishing 
town, with all its trade and prosperity, were condemned to 
destruction. 

It was a sad spectacle to see the columns of flame and 
smoke rolling upward ; and with a feeling of sadness I turned 
away from this deplorable spectacle of ruin, and rode after 
the troops, which in dense bodies were marching along the 
Martinsburg road. The object of this flank movement was 



JACKSON'S ADVANCE. 63 

to get between Winchester aiid the army of General Patter- 
son, which was now crossing the Potomac at William's Ford, 
Patterson, hearing of our evacuation of Harper's Ferry, 
ordered his troops to cross the Potomac in all haste to see if 
he could not arrive in time to save something. 

General Johnston quietly continued his march to Win- 
chester, where it was very easy for him to hold General 
M'Clellan in check, as also to prevent any further advance of 
Patterson, whilst at the same time it was very easy for him 
to form a junction with Geileral Beauregard, who was 
stationed at Manassas Gap. 

Advices, however, which we received from Maryland, gave 
us certain information that General Patterson intended to 
make another manoeuvre, and induced General Johnston to 
direct Colonel " Stonewall " Jackson to advance with his 
brigade to the vicinity of Martinsburg, to support Colonel 
Stuart, who, with his regiment of cavalry, was acting as a 
corps of observation. 

On the 2d July, General Patterson again crossed the Po- 
tomac. Colonel Jackson carried out the instructions he had 
received to the letter, and retired with his troops. The ad- 
vanced guard of General Patterson's division, fancying that 
Jackson's brigade had taken to flight, made rather too hasty a 
pursuit. Colonel Jackson took two battalions of the 5th Vir- 
ginia regiment and a six-pounder battery, and placed them in 
a most advantageous position, where his small force was well 
covered. Fie then accepted the battle that was offered him, 
and it was not until he feared that his communication with 
the main army might be cut off that he retired, quietly and 
unmolested, taking with him fifly-three prisoners. As soon 
as General Johnston was informed of Colonel Jackson's com- 
bat, he hastened to ofler General Patterson battle. He took 
up a position five miles from Martinsburg, which was occu- 
pied by the Federal troops, and waited patiently four days 
for the appearance of General Patterson. The latter, how- 



64 WAB PICTURES. 

ever, had neither the courage nor the inclination to return the 
compliment and accept the challenge of Johnston, although 
his troops numbered nearly double those of his opponent. 
After waiting in vain, General Johnston ordered his troops, 
who were eager for battle, back to Winchester. They had, 
however, scarcely reached their old quarters when the corps 
of observation of Colonel Stuart announced the advance of the 
enemy under General Patterson. Johnston, delighted, hoped 
now to cross swords with him. At Bunker's Hill, about 
seven miles from Winchester, Patterson again came to a halt, 
and remained there quietly till the 7th July. 

General Patterson then made preparations as if it was his 
intention to attack our left wing, but General Johnston now 
guessed what his plans were, and saw through his subtlety. 
The sole object of the operations and movements of the enemy 
was to keep Johnston at Winchester, in order that General 
Beauregard might be exposed to the main body of the United 
States army, which, under the command of Major-General 
M'Dowell, was concentrated near Manassas. Johnston now 
placed his army in such a position that on the first notification 
from General Beauregard he should be able to advance di- 
rectly on Manassas, and thus Patterson's very clever plans, 
on which he had so confidently calculated, were not attended 
with any result. 



BULL mm. 65 



CHAPTER VIII. 

BULL RUN. 

Preparations of the hostile armies— Strength of the Federal forces— The decisive 
moment approaches — M'Dowell's attack — Inexperience of tlie artillery — Gen- 
eral Bonham — Longstreet's brigade at Blackburn Fort — Energetic attack of 
the Federals — Progress of the fight — Object of the battle to try the strength 
of both armies. 

At the commencement of July, 1861, two of the largest 
armies which America ever beheld were ranged in hostile 
positions at a short distance opposite each other, and awaited 
with eager anxiety the approach of the sanguinary day when 
North and South were to measure their strength. The 
Northern troops thought themselves already sure of victory, 
as they fancied it w^ould be an easy task to disperse the 
Southern army, and to advance victoriously without much 
obstacle to Richmond, there to hoist again the star-spangled 
banner of the great Republic. This opinion was shared by 
many members of Congress who, it may be supposed, ought 
to have exercised a wiser judgment. That the whole affair 
would be over in twelve or fourteen days was considered 
certain. As regards the equipment of the great Federal army, 
nothing had been neglected by the Government to place it 
upon the footing of any European army of the same size. It 
was provided with excellent artillery, and contained, more- 
over, bodies of regular troops which the Government had 
collected together from all its extended territories — the Rocky 



66 "WAE PICnJKES. 

Mountains, St. Louis, Jefferson Barracks, Fortress Monroe, 
&c. — and this fact gave a sort o^ prestige to this army. 

As regards its strength, if we do not err, we should esti- 
ma,te it at 50,000 men, inclusive of nine companies of dragoons 
of the United States regular army, and a park of artillery, of 
between fifty and sixty pieces, nearly all rifled cannon. 

This imposing force was placed under the command of a 
leader who throughout the whole of the United States enjoyed 
the reputation of a soldier of the highest military genius. Gen- 
eral M'Dowell. This reputation having for its foundation the 
success he had gained at the Military College at West Point. 

General Beauregard was perfectly well informed of all that 
was going on in General M'Dowell's army, and of the inten- 
tion of the enemy to force their way to Eichmond ; every 
precaution had therefore been taken by him to prevent that 
plan being carried out. It was a most critical moment for 
the Confederate army ; for, if they were beaten, they had no 
more resources for carrying on the war to fall back upon. 

What Schiller's William Tell says to his arrow, Beaure- 
gard might well have said of his army — 

•' Should it fall harmless from my hand, 
I have not a second at command ; " 

and, truly, if the army of the Confederate host were beaten 
they could scarcely manage to bring another army into the 
field. Moreover, what would have been the effect in Europe 
if the South should be defeated ? The leaders of the Confed- 
erate army must have had an anxious moment when they 
considered all the circumstances which seemed to combine for 
their destruction ! It must not be forgotten, too, that it was 
here for the first time that the elite of the two hostile armies 
stood opposite each other. 

What changes had taken place in a short lapse of time ! 
For more than eighty years these same enemies, who now 
looked at each other with feelings of bitter animosity, had led 



FIGHT AT BULL ETJN. 67 

together the life of peaceful citizens, and had made themselves 
but little acquainted with the art of war, for the war in Mex- 
ico was comparatively insignificant. And now this people, 
who were bound together by brotherly ties, who had the same 
interests in common, are suddenly split into two factions, 
arrayed as mortal enemies against each other. " On to 
Eichmond " is the battle cry of one party ; " Independence or 
Death " that of the other. 

At Bull Run these exasperated warriors met, indeed, but 
for a short time. The battle did not last long, but was fierce 
enough to show, on a small scale, how the hostile factions 
would exert their energies to make some future battle a deci- 
sive one. The engagement at Bull Run may, in fact, be 
likened to an overture before the great spectacle of war, 
which, in a short time, was to be performed at Manassas. 

Bull Run forms the north frontier of the county which 
separates it from Fairfax, and on its smiling banks, three 
miles north of the junction of the Manassas Gap, and the 
Orange and Alexandria Railway, was fought this memorable 
engagement, on the 18th of July. Bull Run is a small river 
which, at this point, runs from west to east, and lower down 
joins the waters of the Occoquan river. Fine, open, cheerful 
roads intersect the country here, nearly in every direction. 
The banks of the river are rocky and steep, but provided 
with a great number of fords, which from olden time had 
always been in use. Mitchell's Ford is about halfway between 
Centreville and Manassas. Each road is about six miles in 
length. 

To oppose the enemy's movements, who, as General 
Beauregard suspected, were operating on Manassas, he with- 
drew his farthest advanced troops from the lines of Bull Run 
more toward his centre. On the morning of the 17th July, 
Beauregard's troops had taken up a position from Mills Ford 
to Stone Bridge, a distance of about eight miles. On the 
following day, General M'Dowell made preparations to at- 



68 WAR PICTURES. 

tack Bonham's brigade. He advanced large masses of infa,n- 
try, covered by some batteries of artillery. At noon, the 
enemy opened a heavy artillery fire from rifled cannon. 
Owing to the inexperience of the artillerymen, who were now 
probably for the first time in action, they did but very little 
damage to our troops. It was only after they had fired some 
hundred aimless shots, that they began gradually to acquire 
coolness and precision in pointing their guns, and their fire 
then occasioned deadly havoc amongst our men. Our bat- 
teries, as well as our troops, kept very quiet, but nevertheless 
impatiently waited the moment for orders to engage. 

After a few moments, a light field battery of the enemy 
advanced to within a much nearer position. At the same 
time, General Bonham ordered one of his batteries to drive 
back that of the enemy, which order was so promptly and 
energetically obeyed, that after a short artillery duel, it was 
compelled to relinquish its position in all haste. The bold 
attempt they had made was thus completely defeated by our 
troops. The wonderful coolness and self-possession which 
our battery displayed in this affair, excited the admiration of 
our officers, and General Bonham promoted the officer in 
command to the rank of Major on the spot. Bonham now 
promptly withdrew the battery from the position it had 
taken, and placed it at Mitchell's Ford, where its guns could 
baffle any attempt of the enemy to cross. 

Whilst this little cannon duel was going on. General 
M'Dowell threw forward large bodies of infantry, cavalry, 
and artillery, upon Blackburn Ford, where Longstreet's bri- 
gade was stationed, with orders to hold the position. Gen- 
eral Longstreet, informed of the advance of this large body of 
the enemy, withdrew his outposts quickly behind the ford, 
whilst he manned the whole length of the south bank of the 
stream with a thick line of sharpshooters. The enemy's 
masses, sheltered by the undulating ground, were enabled to 
come up within 100 yards of our riflemen, whilst the enemy's 



FIGHT AT BULL RUN. 69 

batteries attached to both flanks, allowed the masses of infan- 
try to get up close to us, under the protection of their mur- 
derous fire. As soon as the enemy's columns had deployed 
under cover of a heavy fire of their guns, which they did with 
great coolness, although it was probably the first time these 
regiments had been under fire, they were formed into an at- 
tacking column, and with a loud cheer rushed on Longstreet's 
position, who, however, received them with equal coolness 
and bravery. 

It was at this point that, for the first time, these two hos- 
tile armies actually came into contact. Tlie conflict which 
now ensued became every moment more deadly, and the 
mutual animosity of the men was increased to fury. The 
fighting had lasted already two hours, and yet neither party 
had gained one inch of ground. Every tree, every rock, 
every hollow was occupied by our Texan sharpshooters, who 
poured their deadly bullets into the enemy's ranks with fear- 
ful havoc. At last, Longstreet's division began to show 
symptoms of fatigue, and slightly wavered. At this critical 
juncture. General Early's brigade came up in the nick of time, 
and by this needful reinforcement the balance in the battle 
was reestablished. Ere long, the enemy's general became 
aware that he could do nothing against our solid masses. He 
therefore retired his troops from the line of battle, and con- 
fined his action to an artillery fire, which now opened on both 
sides, and afforded us the opportunity of ascertaining our 
superiority over the enemy in this arm. The commanders 
of the batteries could only take as a guide for their aim the 
glittering bayonets above the brushwood, and our men kept 
up an incessant fire amongst these partly concealed foes with 
rifled cannon. But we had scarcely thrown the enemy's 
columns into some slight confusion, when a Rhode Island bat- 
tery came up at a trot within 800 yards, and poured in a hail 
of projectiles upon us, with the most destructive efl^ect. 

Many of our best horses having now been killed, our bat- 



10 WAR PICTUEES. . 

teries "were withdrawn from this devastating fire, while those 
of the enemy still continued to pound away for a time ; but 
gradually the fire slackened, and when night threw her veil 
over the earth, the roar of artillery had ceased altogether. 
Thus terminated the engagement of Bull Run, which I looked 
upon as the prelude to a greater battle that must need to be 
fought between the two hostile armies. Tlie battle of Bull 
Run had no other object than an attempt on the part of the 
enemy's general to cross the river, and to try the mettle oi 
his troops. Although he did not succeed in crossing the ford, 
he nevertheless acquired sufficient knowledge of the bravery 
and self-possession of his troops, and, at the same time, no 
little respect for his opponents, whom he could no longer look 
upon as a despicable foe. 

Both armies retired as if to_ recruit their strength, and to 
nerve themselves to the utmost for the coming great struggle, 
■which it was hoped would decide the question of the existence 
of the Confederacy. The game had begun in earnest ; what 
would be the issue of the throw 1 



THE BATTLE OP MANASSAS. 71 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE BATTLE OF MANASSAS, 

Mevements of the Confederate army — Patterson perplexed — Espionage — Federal 
camp scenes — Scott's inactivity on the Potomac — Morning of the battle — A 
glance at both armies— The Confederate generals — Strength of the two armies — 
The battle commences — Advance of the enemy's colunans — Our left wing at- 
tacked — Fierce engagement on the plateau — General attack — Beauregard and 
Jackson attack the enemy — Retreat — Heroism of Johnston— Corooran's Irish 
regiment — Generals Fisher and Barton are killed — A fruitless struggle — Once 
more at them — Stonewall Jackson — Afresh massacre — Retreat — All apparently 
lost — Arrival of Jefl'. Davis — Jackson, why called " Stonewall" — Help at need : 
Kirby Smith comes up — The decisive blow — The retreat — The battle field — 
Wounded foes — A horrible scene — Hospitals and attendance — Plunderers — 
Results of the battle of Manassas. 

It was on Sunday, the 21st of July, that General Scott issued 
the order for General M'Dowell to advance with his troops 
against Manassas. This plan of operations was no secret to 
us. For, despite the severe check the United States army 
met with at Bull Run, very little foresight was shown by the 
Cabinet at Washington, General Beauregard received the 
very earliest information from a friend of his there, and had 
plenty of time to make all his preparations. He promptly 
made General Johnston acquainted with the enemy's inten- 
tions, and requested him to fall back on Manassas with all his 
troops, to form a junction with his corps. General Johnston 
performed this march in the most masterly manner. In or- 
der not to betray his retreat to the enemy's corps under Gen- 
eral Patterson, stationed at Martinsburg, he ordered Colonel 



V2 



WAR PICTUKES. 



Stuart to make a reconnoissance with his cavalry, on a large 
scale, to induce the enemy to believe that Johnston had the 
intention of shortly offering battle. Colonel Stuart carried 
out his instructions with such intelligence that poor General 
Patterson was at his wits' end, so he reported Johnston's 
demonstrations to Washington, and pressed for reenforce- 
ments. General Scott gave credence to the views contained 
m this report, and chuckled at the idea that Johnston was 
thus seriously occupied at Winchester with Patterson, as he 
hoped thereby to be able to annihilate Beauregard's army at 
Manassas, and strike a terrible blow at the Confederate army. 
Johnston, on seeing the success of his stratagem, laughed in 
his sleeve, and quietly took his departure from Winchester 
for Manassas. Kirby Smith's corps alone, with ten compa- 
nies of cavalry, was left behind,, with orders not to follow till 
next day. 

From the very commencement of operations the Confed- 
erates enjoyed a decided advantage on the score of intelli- 
gence ; and so it now happened that while we were accurately 
informed of every projected movement of the enemy, Scott 
and M'Dowell on the other hand were almost completely ig- 
norant of our plans and intentions. They had not the slight- 
est notion that General Johnston's corps had two days pre- 
viously formed a junction with the army at Manassas, for, 
had they known of it, the corps under General Patterson, near 
Winchester — who still fancied he was threatened by John- 
ston's army, and was anxiously expecting an attack — would 
surely have been immediately ordered to occupy that town 
and make a demonstration in the Shenandoah valley. Had 
this really been done, however, the enemy would have cut off 
all our supplies from that rich valley, and have obstructed 
our communications in that direction. But the United States 
at this period had thought proper to employ several generals 
who were content to draw their pay, without choosing to put 
themselves much out of the way in the performance of any 



GENERAL SCOTT'S CAMP. 73 

duty that required exertion or the exercise of great precau- 
tion, so confident were these men in their own superior 
abilities. 

General Scott's headquarters at this season had more the 
appearance of a great fair than that of a camp of soldiers. 
Thousands of spectators had thronged there with the view of 
witnessing the bravery of the Pederal troops, and the inevit- 
able defeat of our army. Senators, members of Congress, 
politicians, clergymen, journalists, and idlers of every descrip- 
tion, even women (if we may dare to rank them under the 
latter category) had then and there gathered together to wit- 
ness the spectacle of the grand struggle about to take place, 
the successful issue of which, and the glorious results that 
would ensue, every one of the motley assemblage confidently 
predicted. Nothing is so mischievous to an army in the 
field as to harbor in its midst so many useless and detrimen- 
tal elements. General Scott, however, it is certain, took no 
sort of measure to prevent this encumbering crowd of visit- 
ors from swarming in his camp. He placidly allowed in- 
quisitive ladies and gentlemen to stroll through the various 
encampments, where each of these amateur critics was eager 
to display his or her copious strategical knowledge. To lis- 
ten to the boasting rhodomontade, and other absurdities of 
these people, one would have fancied that all the heroes of 
ancient and modern times had met together on the side of the 
Federals, and that our army was to be utterly vanquished 
and slaughtered without mercy, down to the lowest drummer 
boy. Every one of these declaimers fancied himself for the 
nonce a Hannibal or a Napoleon, and disinterestedly promul- 
gated his ideas for the benefit of all. Whole wagon-loads of 
champagne and other wines found their way to the camp for 
the great jubilation that was to take place in honor of the 
victory. It need scarcely be remarked that all this was det- 
rimental to the troops, as it loosened the bonds of discipline 
and strict subordination, and lowered the standard among 
4 



74 "WAK PICrUEES. 

both officers and men of those essential military elements, 
coolness, self-possession, and mututil reliance. The whole 
matter was treated by the generals and officers with danger- 
ous levity. Buoyed up as they all were with the eouhdeut 
expectation — almost amounting to ciuiviction — tliat the scales 
of war were already turning in tlieir favor, they really seemed 
to be incompetent to look earnestly ahead, and to solve with 
anything like accuracy the problematical course of coming 
events. 

If we ovMnpave with the above picture the activity and 
demeanor of the United States troops under the command of 
Genci'al ^M'Clellau in \Yestern Virginia — who. when cut oft' 
from all communications, deprived of the means of corre- 
spondence, in a country where ca cry rock and every hillock 
was turned into a fortification, were always I'cady for action, 
day and night, in spite of all sorts of fatigue and privation — 
what a contrast does it not ofter to the army on the Potomac ! 
Nothing was more noticeable there than indolence, with an 
absence of military order and discipline, unless it Mas the os- 
tentatious display of a variety of uniforms combining the 
quiet costume of the rough hunter just arrived from the far 
woods of Minnesota, to fight for tlie stars and stripes, with 
the ridiculous uniforms of the so-called Tmvos, Zouaves, 
Arabs, and other theatrical dresses which decked the persons 
of their strutting owners. 

But a truce to this description of a scene of egi'egious 
folly ; we have stated enough to lay bare the root of those 
weaknesses jmd eiTors which proved the destruction of the 
army of the Potomac, and will now resume our narrative cf 
events. 

It was. as we have alivady stated, on the "21st of July, 
that General Scott issued the order to General M-Dc>well to 
advance with liis army against Manassivs. The sun rose glo- 
riously in the cloudless heavens on this lovely Sunday morn- 
ing, and its rays mimistakably indicated a coming hot day. 



MORNING OF THE BATTLE. 75 

Our troops had quietly partaken of their breakfast ; the cler- 
gymen of the different regiments had preached their sermons, 
and prepared the soldiers by impressive words for the dread 
doings that would be enacted on this eventful day. The few 
remaining moments were devoted to exchanging words of 
farewell with beloved relatives and friends. It was a sad and 
touching spectacle to behold sons pressing the hands of their 
fatliers, brothers those of brothers, and affectionately embra- 
cing one another, perhaps for the last time ! Many a blessing 
followed the departing columns ; many a reiterated farewell 
was shouted after them ; many a tear was suppressed. The 
troops assembled round their respective standards, and took 
up their appointed places. Everything was done earnestly 
and seriously, every one present feeling convinced that a 
great and decisive moment was at hand. It was an enliven- 
ing sight to behold the cavalry regiments rattle past, headed 
by their brave commanders, Stuart. Ashby, and Davis. The 
general officers had assembled round Beauregard and John- 
ston, the latter of whom w'as, in reality, commander-in-chief, 
but he nevertheless left the command to General Beauregard, 
as it was he who had prepared all the plans and made the ne- 
cessary disposition for the coming struggle. The counte- 
nances of tlie generals were serious, and many a thoughtful 
glance did they cast upon the columns as they marched past. 
Finally, their horses were brought, and the chiefs mounted, 
dispersing in various directions, each to his own post. 

Though prevented by a fall from my horse from taking 
any active part for the last few days, I could not resist the 
attraction of at least witnessing the battle. Accompanied by 
a comrade. Prince de Polignac, lieutenant-colonel of artillery, 
on General Beauregard's staff', I accordingly proceeded to a 
hillock where a heavy battery had been placed in position. 

It was one of those clear days when the air is so free from 
mist or vapor, as to allow the eye to discern objects at the 
greatest range, and from our position we could distmguish tha 
most distant objects. 



V6 WAJS, PICTUKES. 

In front of us was extended the vast plain of Manassas, 
oovered broadcast with innumerable masses of gaily dressed 
soldiers. It was truly a magnificent sight. Stretched out be- 
fore us lay the Federal army, its long wings resting upon 
great woods, whose dark green foliage offered a fine back- 
ground to the varied uniforms and glancing bayonets arrayed 
in front. A slight breeze brous-ht over to us the stirrina: 
melodies of their numerous bauds, resounding cheerily in the 
morning air. This brilliant spectacle of warlike array be- 
neath our feet had all the appearance of a painted panorama ; 
and, fascinated with the scene, we gazed untiringly upon it, 
untiJ the eager-looking faces around us, and the light from the 
gun matches in the batteries, aroused us to the knowledge 
that, in a very short time, the work of death would commence 
in earnest. 

Signs of active movement were now visible in the masses 
below. Like swarms of bees, bodies of troops kept crossing 
each other ; batteries, ammunition carts, ambulances, flew 
past, marking with a cloud of dust the road each had taken. 
The troops took up their ground and formed slowly, but 
steadily, in the positions assigned to them. The sun shone 
with increasing splendor on the scene, while a fresh breeze 
blew playfully over the plain ; and the heavens looked down 
smilingly, as if utterly unconscious of the fearful havoc that 
must ensue from the sanguinary work about to commence. 
There stood, in the full possession of life and youth — their 
breasts heaving with hope and courage — thousands who in a 
few short hours would be swept away by the merciless angel 
of death — would breathe out their last breath — and with their 
hearts' blood stain the green summer grass. 

The picture suddenly changes, and the poetical coloring 
which a moment before pervaded it vanishes before the roar 
of artillery, which now issues with fearful violence along the 
whole line. 

General M'Dowell had received orders from General 



TACTICS OP THE CONFEDERATES. 77 

Scott to let the men take four days' rations with them, on the 
21st of July, preparatory to his taking possession of Ma- 
nassas, which position he was to maintain by every exertion 
in his power, as he could then receive his supplies per railway 
from Alexandria. These were the first instructions of the 
Federal generals for the expected battle of Manassas. 

Meanwhile great activity prevailed in the headquarters 
of the Confederate army. Our chief, Beauregard, did not 
exhibit his generalship to the best advantage, having pro- 
posed various plans to his generals, which they could not 
comprehend. Thus, when Beauregard learnt that General 
Scott had given orders to M'Dowell to take the offensive and 
offer battle, he himself wished to adopt that plan, and it was 
only by General Johnston's interposition that the idea of so 
injudicious a manoeuvre was abandoned. Johnston advo- 
cated defensive tactics, and showed in the clearest manner 
that, owing to the actual position of affairs, we ought first to 
await the shock of the enemy before taking the offensive. 
Despite these arguments, Beauregard remained unshaken in 
his opinion, and this day placed his talents as a great com- 
mander in their true light. 

General Johnston's troops advanced in dense masses 
through Ashby's Gap, establishing a communication with 
Beauregard's corps on the Potomac, the left wing of which it 
now formed. 

G*eneral Bee then occupied the advanced posts with the 4th 
Alabama, 2d and 11th Mississippi, and the 2d, 4th, 5th, 
9th, 19th, and 35th Virginia regiments, so as to allow the 
remainder of the army time to effect its movements unmo- 
lested, and take up its proper positions. 

Ewell's brigade had taken post at Union Mill ; whilst 
General Jones occupied M'Lane's Ford ; General Longstreet 
Blackburn's Ford ; and General Bonham, with his division, 
Mitchell's Ford. General Coke and Colonel Evans were 
placed at the extremity of the right wing, and Holmes's and 



78 "WAR PICTUEES. 

Early's brigades were held in reserve, ready to advance 
whenever their services might he required. The centre and 
flanks were covered by our heavy batteries. 

The order of battle this day comprised, on the side of the 
Confederates, including Johnston's corps and General Kirby 
Smith's division, a force of 65,000 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, 
and a park of artillery of 68 guns, partly rifled and partly 
smooth-bored cannon. Thus we were numerically in greater 
force than the enemy, and it was only in the event of Patter- 
son's corps coming up in time that the Federal army -would 
have outnumbered ours.* 

The Confederates held Bull Eun river to the extent of 
from nine to eleven miles, and with eager impatience awaited 
the battle. As soon as the enemy's artillery opened fire 
generally upon our line, a number of their batteries were 
needlessly brought into play, their services not being yet re- 
quired or Ijkely to prove useful. But the men were ani- 
mated with such ardor that possibly no counter order could 
have prevented them from firing. Perhaps these overzealous 
combatants fancied that the roar of their guns would give 
courage to the timid and hesitating. Many a wondering 
glance followed the balls as they flew over our heads, and it 
was almost ludicrous to see the men duck their heads at a 
given signal, and pay a respectful salaam to the iron missile 
as it overshot its mark. 

After the batteries had maintained a steady fire for -some 
time, without either army showing any intention of coming 
to closer quarters, General Beauregard rode along our lines 
urging the Jiien to display unfaltering bravery. Just then a 
body of the enemy's infantry was seen to move rapidly from 
the centre, and to form into attacking columns : these troops 



* In making this comparison between the forces of the hostile armies, it is 
only fair to state that ahout half of the Confederate order of battle as above 
computed — that is, Kirby Smith's corps of some 30,000 men — did not arrive in the 
field until near the close of the action. 



ADVAKCE OF THE TEDEEALS. 19 

being probably sooner tired than our own, of the cannonade, 
and were consequently impatiently eager to attack us. 

This was a moment of exciting and painful suspense. The 
military bands of our foes struck up " Yankee Doodle " to 
encourage their advancing troops. The necessary dispositions 
having been promptly made, their columns advanced against 
a small group of houses that had been occupied by our men, 
under General Evans, to whom the command of the position 
had a few hours previously been transferred from the hands 
of General Bee. 

About noon the enemy sent their sharpshooters forward 
in large numbers, and these kept up a well-sustained fire. 
Immediately afterward the heads of the attacking columns 
came into view, entering the battle field in tolerably good 
order, but not with sufficient rapidity ; a few minutes later 
the battle raged violently in this quarter. By the side of the 
cluster of houses we had drawn up a battery of sixteen guns, 
and these dealt death and destruction amongst the ranks of 
the enemy. The Federal troops, however, stood our fire 
with great steadiness ; they advanced boldly, and drove out our 
men from the houses in question. 

Beauregard now sent Eisher with his brigade to support 
them, and he attacked the successful assailants with such de- 
termined spirit that he recovered possession of the houses, 
driving the enemy's troops before him. Scarcely, however, 
had our troops regained ground, when General Evans issued 
an order that Fisher's brigade on the right should manoeuvre 
toward Longstreet's division, whilst himself would endeavor 
to maintain the position that had been recovered. But the 
enemy, now coming up with strong reinforcements, and sup- 
ported by a battery of horse artillery, made a desperate on- 
slaught on Evans's division. The battle at this point was now 
at its height. In vain did that General endeavor to maintain 
his position until reinforcements should arrive. The enemy's 
leaders were indefatigable in urging on their troops, and their 



80 VTAR PICTUEES. 

attack was so overpowering that our men were at length 
driven back, and the cluster of houses once more fell into the 
hands of our foes. General Evans then withdrew reluctantly 
behind the batteries with his shattered force, to give his men 
time to draw breath and recruit themselves after their hard 
toil and desperate but baffled efforts to hold their ground. 

Whilst this minor but deadly contest was going on on 
our left. General Beauregard about one o'clock gave the order 
along his entire line to advance. General Jackson, with- his 
whole division, supported by that of Ewell, then made a despe- 
rate attack upon the enemy's centre. The collision was fearful. 
Tlie Federal troops held their ground without wavering, and 
Jackson's close encounter recoiled before the den^se mass of 
foes opposed to him. The desperation and endurance with 
which both sides fought at this .point entitled them to high 
praise. Despite the most gallant efforts General Jackson 
was obliged to leave the field with his mangled division. At 
this conjuncture General Beauregard made his appearance, and 
in person led Bee's and Early's divisions in support ; but the 
men now seemed discouraged, and advanced reluctantly. The 
enemy then attempted to strilce a blow at our left, when 
Colonels Stuart and Ashby, at the head of their cavalry, 
dashed into them with a loud cheer, using sword and revolver 
with such effect that they cut quite thi-ough them. This dash- 
ing and successful exploit inspirited our troops with renewed 
courage. Lleanwhile General Jackson had again collected 
his forces and made strenuous efforts to redeem his mishap. 
Like lions his men rushed headlong upon the foe, stemmed 
tlieir advance, and recovered some of the lost ground. 

During the progress of these operations, those of our 
troops on the left wing who occupied the cluster of houses 
before mentioned, had again lost their position. The enemy 
tried hard to derive still greater advantage from this fiirther 
success, and accordingly constructed a masked battery upon 
the plateau opposite to the houses ; and they succeeded, in 



CRITICAL POSITION OF OUE AEMT. 81 

the course of the day, in posting, at this critically important 
point, Rickett's and Griffin's batteries. As soon as the bat- 
tery was planted, it opened fire, and sent forth a storm of 
projectiles amongst our unprotected men. The havoc which 
these guns caused in our ranks was most serious. General 
Johnston, feeling that the plateau was easily accessible, 
ordered up a battery of twelve-pounder rifled cannon from 
the reserve, and gave orders that the enemy should be driven 
from that point. With the greatest coolness and energy the 
commander of our battery set to work ; but all his efforts 
failed before the activity of the enemy's fire, which had been 
concentrated upon our guns as soon as the commander of the 
hostile battery divined our intention. Their first shot killed 
the artillery officer in command, besides dismantling two of 
our guns and killing and wounding a number of the gunners. 
Our position at this part of the field was very critical. As 
often as our battalions were marshalled in order to advance 
to the attack, their columns were riddled by the enemy's shot, 
which was poured in with such deadly effect as to cause dis- 
order and confusion in our ranks. 

General Johnston repeatedly cast anxious glances toward 
that part of the field where Kirby Smith's division was ex- 
pected to advance from Winchester. From the effect of five 
hours' almost incessant fighting his men had become sadly ex- 
hausted, and their distress was greatly augmented by the 
force of the sun's rays, which darted down so scorching a glare 
as to take away, for a time, what little strength remained to 
his wornout troops. There was yet no sign of Kirby Smith's 
advance, and a moody despair began to show itself in the 
men's countenances, as if indicating that their courage was 
about to droop from sheer hopelessness. In this state of 
matters General Johnston made another resolute attempt to 
rally his troops, and, seizing the flag of the 6th North Carolina 
regiment, conjured his men to stand by him and save the 
honor of the Confederate cause : then at the head of the 
4* 



82 WAB PICTURES. 

above-named regiment, he rushed furiously on the advancing 
foe. Nothing could now prevail against these men, who 
fought with all the madness of despair. Nothing could stop 
their onward rush ; they broke through the enemy's ranks, 
and a terrible hand-to-hand conflict ensued, to depict which 
adequately would be impossible. Who could relate all the 
scenes of desperate daring and almost superhuman bravery 
that were here displayed? Without stopping, Johnston, 
followed by the North Carolina regiment and a portion of 
Bonham's brigade, made a rush for the plateau occupied by 
the hostile brigades of Rickett and Griffin. 

General M'Dowell, convinced of the importance of this 
post, had sent Corcoran's Irish regiment to its support. The 
latter had on the way thrown aside everything that could im- 
pede their movements, and, at the point of the bayonet, re- 
pelled, in splendid style, all Johnston's attacks. ^Johnston, 
driven to des.pair, and almost fatigued to death by excitement 
and exertion, now leaned against a tree, and unable to sup- 
press his vexation, continually stamped his foot on the earth. 
The fighting here was truly heroic. Generals Fisher of 
North Carolina, and Barton of Georgia, fell nearly at the 
same time; and right and left the men dropped, bathed in 
blood — yet not an inch of ground was lost or won. 

At this most critical moment of the day, a portion of 
General Jones's brigade now makes its appearance on the field, 
with a fresh body of troops from Texas, Arkansas, and 
Louisiana. With a loud " hurrah," these men throw them- 
selves impetuously upon the enemy, already confidently ex- 
ulting in anticipated victory. At the same time, in order to 
stem their farther advance, Johnston, with his aide-de-camp, 
hastens down to the thinned ranks of his fine division, and en- 
deavors again to rouse the dejected spirit of his men. They 
respond to his appeal ; . although panting from heat and 
fatigue, the brave fellows cannot refuse to follow their 
beloved and gallant commander. Again his shaken ranks 



THE PLATEAU REGAINED. 83 

are formed into a compact column, and stimulated by the 
rallying cry of " Forward I " this heroic band, with their 
physical strength all but exhausted by their previous exer- 
tions, dash irresistibly into the battle, determined there to 
seek either victory or death. 

Even the Irishmen, who had hitherto stood like a rock 
under their able colonel, Corcoran, could not withstand this 
shock. They, too, were dead beat by the incessant hard 
fighting. Thus we were enabled to gain a little ground, 
which served still further to rouse the courage of our men. 
Like two thunder clouds driven into collision by a fierce 
tempest, the hostile masses closed. " Hurrah for Jeff. 
Davis ! " shouted our men, and " On to Richmond ! " was 
responded by the foe. The Federal gunners were obliged to 
cease firing, in order not to mow down their own men, and 
sword and bayonet were alone used to do their deadly work 
in this murderous melee. 

Gradually the resistance of our opponents slackened — they 
began to give way. One more attack — one more headlong 
wild rush, regardless of death and horrible mutilation — one 
more desperate grapple — and the enemy is hurled back. A 
loud cheer then burst from our ranks, accompanied with ex- 
ulting cries of, " They give way ! they give way ! " and exert- 
ing their remaining powders to the utmost, our men make a 
final and crushing onslaught. The enemy is compelled to re- 
linquish his hard-earned advantages, and seeks shelter behind 
his guns, which are brought up in all haste, but in vain. 

The Confederates having become again masters of the im- 
portant plateau, with a portion of the batteries posted there, 
forthwith turn the guns against the columns advancing to the 
support of the enemy, which are now exposed to a galling 
fire. 

The battle on the left wing had thus terminated in our 
favor. Johnston had defeated all the attempts of the enemy 
to maintain the plateau and the group of houses, and drove 



84 WAR PICTURES. 

them back, with a great loss in killed and wounded, on their 
reserve. We now stood in special need of a good body of 
cavalry. If Johnston, at the moment the enemy gave way, 
had been so fortunate as to have two or three cavalry regi- 
ments at his disposal, our success would have been a decisive 
one. Our infantry was so worn out with heat and toil, that 
the men were not capable of performing the comparatively 
light duty of pursuing the beaten foe. Our success was, con- 
sequently, not complete. Moreover, had we been better pro- 
vided with cavalry, we might have effectually relieved our 
centre when it was so hard pressed by General M'Dowell. 

General Johnston felt very anxious lest the enemy should 
become aware of our weakness and return to the attack. He 
therefore sent aide-de-camps and orderlies, in all haste, in the 
direction where Kirby Smith's division was expected. If his 
troops should arrive in time our men might get some of the 
rest they so much needed ; but this hope was likely to prove 
a vain one : not a trace was to be seen either of Kirby Smith's 
or of any other fresh troops, and the mind of Johnston was 
sorely troubled at contemplating the dearly purchased advan- 
tages he had obtained with his gallant soldiers thus placed in 
jeopardy, as the prospect of maintaining the ground they 
had won and following up their success seemed to fade away. 

Meantime, the battle had been raging along the whole 
line. General Beauregard, informed of Johnston's success on 
the left wing, did not wish to be behindhand on his part, and 
exerted all his energy to strike a decisive blow at the enemy. 
He therefore ordered General Longstreet to place himself at 
the head of the attacking columns, and directed a general ad- 
vance. Admirably did Longstreet lead his men on, and he 
was followed by the brigades of Kershaw and Coke in sup- 
port. The enemy's trooj)s calmly awaited our attack, and 
from a masked battery opened a destructive fire upon Long- 
street's corps. This, however, did not check its advance for 
one moment ; on it dashed in utter contempt of death, with 



LONGSTREET BEPULSED." 85 

fixed bayonets, across the plain and over some small brush- 
wood which separated it from the foe. At this moment the 
enemy displayed his front; various guns, hitherto unper- 
ceived, poured a regular shower of grape into our attacking 
columns, causing whole ranks to be swept down on the blood- 
stained field. The two supporting brigades, beholding this 
terrible havoc of their comrades, with cries of rage and 
anguish burst from their hitherto well-kept ranks, and rushed 
wildly across the plain to their aid; but before they could 
come up with them, they in turn fell stricken to the ground. 

Our foes, confident in the ultimate success of a well-con- 
certed plan of action, defended their position with great skill 
and determination, Longstreet, rendered desperate by th-e 
terrible loss sustained by his men, endeavored in vain to 
rally them and inspire them with new courage. His corps 
was almost annihilated, and many of his men became mixed 
up with the other brigades so inextricably that great confu- 
sion necessarily ensued, and it was scarcely possible to pro- 
cure any obedience to orders. Soldiers no longer recognized 
their officers, nor the officers their men, so incurable was the 
confusion at that moment. Like madmen the men fired and 
struck at their foes without order. All the appeals of Beau- 
regard and his officers were disregarded. The troops, at last, 
struck with a panic, qviite gave way and ran across the plain 
which separated them from the wood. They had scarcely 
turned when some squadrons of the United States regular 
cavalry followed them in pursuit. Happily for our men the 
leader of these horsemen did his work inefficiently. Profiting 
by this, some companies which had hastily got together, some- 
what recovered their order, making a sufficient show of resist- 
ance to lead him to suppose they meant to repel the attack ; 
thereupon, he turned back and allowed the remainder of our 
dispersed troops to save themselves. 

The disheartened soldiers had scarcely reached the verge 
of the wood when Colonel Ashby made his appearance with 



86 WAR PICTFKES. 

some companies of cavalry, and nnder this welcome protect- 
ing cover many of the fugitives found safety. 

The enemy now advanced slowly, but with evident dis- 
trust, whilst their artillei-y kept up a useless tire. Our troops 
were noc disposed to make any further stand. Their great 
and miloolced-for losses had disheartened them, and it was 
only when Beauregard came up with a few fresh battalions 
and a battery that the officers could succeed in enforcing 
obedience, when they endeavored, to the best of their ability, 
to get the disorganized mass into some order and discipline. 
Beauregai'd looked sadly, almost beseechingly, toward hea. 
ven, as if no aid could be expected from any other quarter. 
The few battalions he had brought up were sent to the front 
and spread themselves out in an extended line of skirmishers, 
opening a brisk fire upon the slowly advancing enemy, who 
probably fancied that much larger reinforcements had arrived 
than was really the ease. Had they known at this critical 
moment how to turn their advantage to account, there was no 
need for them to force Beauregard's centre, disorganized and 
scattered as it then Avas. 

From the lett wing there was no help to be expected ; for 
General Johnston, with his wornout troops, was incapable of 
more work, and was only too thankful that he had succeeded in 
doing so much. The reserves had been so lavishly employed 
from the very outset, that there were none now available ; 
consequently, our troops were wholly insufficient to resist a 
fresh attack on the part of the enemy; and if to this be added 
the general discouragement and the wornout st^ite of the men, 
we may infer that in a few miniites more the battle of INftmas- 
sas might have been decided in favor of the Federals. But 
it was not to be so : thanks to the slowness of our over-prudent 
foes, we were saved in our hour of greatest need, and the 
mighty blow that threatened oiu- destruction fell short of its 
mark. 

Our brave sharpshooters were meanwhile busily annoying 



ARRIVAL OF THE PRESIDENT. 8*? 

the advancing enemy ; and the few battalions we still had to 
cover us kept the enemy at bay, like well trained hounds 
when facing a lion ; and profiting by his unaccountable inert- 
ness and overcaution, seized the opportunity to attempt, hope- 
less as the chance appeared, once more to restore our fallen 
fortunes. 

At the very time these momentous events were taking place 
on the right wing and in the centre, President Jefferson Davis 
made his appearance on the field, surrounded by a brilliant 
staff. For a triumphant procession, he must have soon per- 
ceived that he came somewhat too early, as he rode in silence 
along the columns of the brigades. "What a sight ! The glo- 
rious army was, so to say, dissolved. The pride and the flower 
of the South lay bleeding and broken on the ground, and only 
a small body still rallied round its tattered banners. The 
hopes of thousands had been baffled, the joy of other thousands 
crushed ; groans, lamentations, and piteous cries for help were 
painfully audible on every side. In the midst of the fearful? 
sickening sight that met the eye of the President, what must 
the proud heart of that man have felt at this spectacle of mis- 
ery ? What must have been his feelings when the corpses of 
his friends. Generals Barton and Fisher — men who had found 
the death of heroes — were brought in ? 

With an uneasy hand he clutched his reins, his eye look- 
ing dull and sad, his face twitching nervously, influenced per- 
haps by a painful feeling of responsibility on beholding around 
him on all sides the poor victims who had fallen iii support of 
the cause identified so closely with his own ambition. 

General Beauregard communicated to the President, in a 
few words, the details of the progress of the battle. The sol 
diers, meanwhile, stood around in silence, leaning on their wea- 
pons. There was something of discontent visible in their 
looks, which may have seemed to upbraid the President for 
the policy that had brought them to make such fearful sacri- 
fices. 



88 WAR PICTTJKES. 

His Excellency, unable to dwell upon so painful a scene, 
hastily rode off toward our left wing, but only to see a repe- 
tition there of the spectacle he had just endeavored to avoid. 

Scarcely had the President left with his staff, when the 
enemy made a show of ending by one blow the work that had 
been so far advanced. 

They came boldly forward, drove back our sharpshooters, 
and approached the spot where we had posted our reserve, our 
hospitals, and magazines. If our foes could have succeeded in 
establishing a footing here, all resistance must necessarily have 
ceased. At this critical moment, Beauregard ordered General 
Jackson to attack the enemy on the left flank, whilst he should 
attack them in the centre. 

Poor Jackson was, on every occasion, the last resource, 
and was therefore ordered forw.ard when any difficult or 
almost impossible work was to be done. But he was always 
willing and ready, and no one ever heard him utter a com. 
plaint, or grumble at any order, however unreasonable. And 
so it happened to-day : he was again to attack the enemy, al- 
though no division had been so hotly engaged and suffered so 
much already as his own. He stirred up the courage of his 
men, and with unbounded confidence, they prepared to follow 
him. A few moments after Jackson had received his orders 
he was again alongside the enemy, engaged in a desperate 
hand-to-hand encounter. 

The Federal troops had just crossed a ditch, but Jackson 
drove them back belter skelter, and hotly pursued them. The 
enemy was startled at this forward movement of the Confed- 
erates, who scarcely an hour before had appeared defeated and 
about to retreat. They pulled up, however, at a small ravine, 
and then made so stout a stand that every attempt of Jackson 
to drive them from this post failed. 

Generals Scott and M'Dowell, observing the fatigued state 
of our men, resolved at once to make a general attack upon 
our wornout line. 



JOHNSTON'S DESPEEATE COUEAGE. 89 

General Mills was sent with three brigades to Centreville, 
to make a demonstration as a feint upon Blackbiu-.n and Mit- 
chell's Ford, with a view to mislead General Beauregard ; and 
General Tyler was, meantime, to operate against Stone- 
bridge ; General Heintzelman to advance as quickly as possi- 
ble against Red House Ford, and take possession of that point. 
General Plunter, with two brigades, was, in the interval, to 
clear the ground and drive back the skirmishers. 

The enemy carried out this manoeuvre with alacrity and 
a feeling of confidence, whilst our army, owing to the immense 
length of our line of battle, was so widely distributed that 
some portions were left unsupported. Our troops could not 
prevent the enemy from carrying out their operations, as there 
was scarcely any possibility of concentrating large masses on 
one point, an operation that would have been attended, not 
only with great difficulty, but with much loss of time. Owing 
to the concentration of the enemy, it was much easier for them 
to support each other. "Without giving us time thoroughly 
to understand their plans and to counteract them, the enemy's 
troops now made a sudden and simultaneous attack upon our 
whole line. Generals Heintzelman and Burnside made a furi- 
ous onslaught upon Johnston's wearied troops, and attempted 
to drive them out of the position they had gained with so much 
resolution and perseverance. 

Johnston was well aware of the importance of his position, 
and saw at a glance exactly how he was situated. If the Fed- 
erals were victorious here, the only chance for the Confeder- 
ates was to fall back on the centre, in which case Johnston 
would have to advance his left wing toward it. But this 
would cut off the communication with Kirby Smith's corps, 
for the enemy could then occupy the position thus vacated, 
throw itself between Johnston and Smith, and capture or crush 
the latter, who would then have to sustain the attack of their 
main body. 

The enemy's two generals exerted themselves to the ut- 



90 WAR PICTURES. 

most to effect their object ; but Johnston stood as firm as a 
rock, and was determined to hold the precious ground he oc- 
cupied with his troops, until the hist man should tall. A con- 
flict on a large scale was, meantime, raging along the whole 
line. The sultry atmosphere was almost unbearable, and the 
troops, heated by continual fighting, were tired almost to 
fainting. With difficulty Johnston gathered his men together, 
and brought them up, almost desponding, against the enemy. 
Both parties fought with almost incredible obstinacy. The 
cannon roared, the rifles cracked, and with wild hurrahs the 
opponents met in mortal fight. Clouds of smoke and dust 
shrouded the horrible scenes of butchery here displayed. 
More than once had they driven back the enemy's attack, 
when suddenly Hunter's division came up to the support of 
the latter, thus bringing fresh_ troops against our wornout 
men. This was too much. Despite the great disregard of 
death which Johnston himself had personally displayed — de- 
spite the most heroic attempts at keeping up the courage of 
his men, it was evident that the position could no longer be 
held. Attacked on all sides, our troops retreated gradually 
from their dearly bought positions, defending every inch of 
ground with their last remaining strength. 

Johnston was now in a state of despair ; all seemed to be 
lost, and the exertions of the whole day fruitless. Like a 
wounded boar, he rushed about, endeavoring to collect the last 
remnants of his defeated corps ; and the tide of fortune was 
fast setting in against the cause of the Confederacy, when, as 
an expiring efibrt, Hampton's legion was now brought up to 
support Jackson. " You cover the retreat," shouted Jackson ; 
"we are beaten, and must fall back. Then," added he, reso- 
lutely, '• I will again show the enemy our bayonets." In a 
very short time he had formed his troops into order; and 
General Bee exultingly exclaimed, " Here stands Jackson 
like a ' stone wall,' and here let us conquer or die ! " 

The exclamation was received with enthusiasm along the 



THE CONFEDEKATES NEARLY OVEKPOWEEED. 91 

whole line. " Stone wall ! stone wall ! " shouted the men ; 
and their courage was renewed as if by magic. Here it was 
that Jackson earned the imperishable term of Stonewall as a 
prefix to his name. Meantime the enemy was already in 
possession of nearly all the important positions. Jackson, 
fully aware of their value, turned his attention to that quar- 
ter. Making a furious rush upon the scared enemy, he at- 
tacks them in their centre, and endeavors to hurl them back. 
A half battery of I'i-pounders did very good service here; 
and General Bee followed up with the troops of the other di- 
vision. But all these heroic attempts proved fruitless ; the 
enemy was too strong. Ileintzelman aiid Burnside defended 
their position with great skill. Johnston tried a desperate 
flank movement; but the enemy was not to be deceived. 
They merely sent their disposable cavalry and a few guns to 
oppose him ; and these troops, by their firm attitude, kept 
him at bay. 

Jackson was finally obliged to leave Johnston to himself,. 
and make a retrograde movement. As soon as the enemy 
observed this, they determined to annihilate us at one fell 
swoop. There was no time to 'be lost now, and only the 
most heroic resistance could save the fresh regiments that had 
come up. 

The condition of affairs on our side was at this moment 
desperate indeed. Our left flank was overpowered, and with- 
out support it was impossible to do anything with the worn- 
out troops in that quarter. General Holmes with three regi- 
ments, and General Early with some others, and a 6-pounder 
battery under Captain Walker, accordingly advanced to the 
support ; whilst the routed brigades of Bonham, Kemper, 
Longstreet, Ewell and Jones were ordered to make a general 
attack upon the Federal forces. By the greatest good luck, 
it so happened that at this moment a body of fresh troops 
came up from Virginia and Tennessee, and by their gallant 
bearing revived the drooping spirits of our naen. - 



92 WAR PICTUKES. 

Beauregard and Johnston held a conference at Robertson's 
Farm, at which President Jefferson Davis was also present. 
But few words could have passed between them ; they proba- 
bly referred to what appeared to be our inevitable retreat. 
In a few minutes the generals gallopped back to their respect- 
ive posts. It was high time that they did so, for the enemy 
were pouring in on all sides, overthrowing Beauregard's line 
of defence. Once more Jackson gathered his men together, 
and led them on to fight ; but every attack failed against the 
obstinacy of the foe, who resolutely frustrated every attempt 
made by our men. This hot and sanguinary day was already 
drawing to a close ; the sun was murkily setting in the west, 
as if it had already witnessed too much misery ; darkness 
was beginning to spread its merciful wings over the scene of 
battle, over the downtrodden, mutilated corpses, and over the 
numerous wounded that lay scattered over the vast plain. 
The position of the Confederates became gradually more un- 
tenable ; and when stragglers from Beauregard's defeated di- 
vision came hastily up, one after the other exclaiming, " Beau- 
regard is beaten ! Longstreet is killed ! all is over ! " even 
the bravest spirits gave way. The roar of cannon drew nearer 
and nearer, and announced that we really were defeated. Vain 
were all attempts to stop the confusion which ensued ; prepa 
rations were made by many for flight, and some, indeed, threw 
away their arms, and fled. 

Johnston and Jackson rode like madmen through the 
^ranks of the disheartened soldiers, but their zeal was of no 
avail. The confusion increased, and masses of Beauregard's 
routed division came hurrying back, adding to the general be- 
wilderment. All discipline was at an end ; the enemy's bul- 
lets already began to shower in upon us, and the shout of 
" Run ! " was raised. And now at this moment appeared in 
sight, at no great distance too, the advancing columns of the 
anxiously expected corps of Kirby Smith, 

Like an electric shock, the words ran from mouth to mouth 



KIEBT SMITH'S OPPOETUNE AEEIVAL. 93 

through the ranks, " Kirbyis coming ! " and a thousand voices 
thundered forth, " Kirby is advancing with 30,000 men ! " 
Each eye now flashed with enthusiasm, and each breast heaved 
with renewed courage. 

It was now an easy task for the officers to restore order 
amongst their men. The newcomers are greeted with shouts 
of " Welcome ! " The help that was needed to save the army 
had come at last. Kirby Smith advanced at once to the at- 
tack, and every one felt that his opportune arrival had ope- 
rated a miraculous change in the state of affairs. The loud 
cheer that rang along our broken lines now startled the elated, 
advancing enemy. 

Like a thunderbolt Kirby Smith fell upon the foe ; our 
men fought desperately ; and in a moment the Federal troops, 
who had felt certain of victory, were everywhere driven back. 
Scarcely had they commenced retiring, when it became im- 
possible to restrain our troops. A giant Texan, throwing 
away his rifle, took out his Bowie knife. With one blow he 
split the skull of a wounded man who had fallen to the 
ground ; and this became the signal for a general butchery. 
Like wild beasts, the incensed soldiery fell upon their victims, 
hewing, stabbing and slashing like madmen. 

A fearful panic seizes upon the Federal troops. Even the 
bravest fly before such an onslaught ; they give way, and, in 
mortal fear, officers and men run for their lives like startled 
deer. Only a few regiments hold their ground, and amongst 
them Colonel Corcoran's Irish regiment, standing like a rock 
in the whirlpool rushing past them, and which threatened to 
carry them along with it. The Irish fought like heroes ; and 
not until a great number of them had fallen, and their brave 
colonel had been made a prisoner, did they slowly retire. 
These poor fellows, who had certainly done their full share 
of the work, could not possibly understand that the day was 
to end to their disadvantage. The savage spirit of our sol- 
diers now almost bordered upon the horrible. Beauregard 



94 WAR PICTURES. 

took advantage of this vengeful mood ; he ordered his whole 
army forward, and with wild exulting cheers fell upon the 
broken enemy. Stuart meantime had collected all his cavalry 
together, and swept across the plain like a whirlwind, clearing 
everything before him. 

The enemy was now in full flight at every point, and so 
quick was our advance that all order in our ranks was lost, 
and no regiment kept in its proper position. A rumor sud- 
denly spread among the men that Kirby Smith had fallen. A 
cry of anger and horror passed through the ranks of the whole 
army. Our troops, now maddened with rage, fell mercilessly 
upon their opponents, and a fearful massacre commenced. 
Scenes of horrible cruelty too fearful for description ensued. 
Our men were no longer human beings ; covered with blood 
and dust, and gunpowder, they fell upon their flying oppo- 
nents with ungovernable fury. 

The whole of the enemy's army was dispersed, and re- 
treated in indescribable disorder to Bull Run. The whole 
plain was covered with fugitives, followed by our men in hot 
pursuit. The victory we had gained was complete. 

Scarcely was Beauregard informed of the unexpected 
success of his arms at every point, when he wended his way 
to the spot where President Jefferson Davis had posted him- 
self with his staflf. 

" President," said he, " the battle of Manassas has been 
won by the indomitable bravery of the Confederate troops. 
The victory is ours ! " 

The President, with emotion, embraced the hero of 
Manassas ; the Confederacy was safe now for some time to 
come, and with it the position of its President. 

It was past midnight, and at headquarters nothing was 
yet known of the actual position and condition of the troops. 
In the wild, disorderly pursuit, all the regiments had become 
disorganized, and in many cases the commanding officers 
failed in getting their orders obeyed. The roar of cannon 



ASPECT OF THE BATTLE FIELD. 95 

had now become fainter, and the sound of musketry had 
ceased altogether. 

The destruction and devastation which this battle of nearly 
twelve hours' duration occasioned is beyond ray powers of 
description. On the field lay by thousands the wounded, the 
dying, and the dead ; groans and piteous cries for help echoed 
through the silence of the night, but few took any notice of 
the poor sufferers lying on that field of blood. The prepara- 
tions for conveying and taking care of the wounded were so 
defective, the means for attending to their wants so insuffi- 
cient, and the staff destined for this purpose so small, that but 
little real help could be bestowed. The sultry air was still 
insufferable, and augmented the pangs of the wounded ; yet 
the surgeons had no idea of their duties, although the most 
energetic action on their part was so indispensable. 

Beauregard and the other generals were fairly bewildered 
by the victory they had achieved. They already pictured to 
their fancy the Confederate Government safely seated at 
Washington, issuing decrees from the Capitol to the van- 
quished North. But where the army was that had to effect 
all this, no one knew. A great portion of it lay dead on the 
field of battle, while the more unfortunate wounded were 
abandoned heartlessly to their fate. No hospital acconrmo- 
dation had been provided ; but little surgical attendance had 
been prepared for the wretched sufferers. With the greatest 
difficulty the quartermasters managed to find room for some 
1,500 to 2,000 of our own wounded, while those of the enemy, 
in still greater number, required accommodation. But whose 
business was this ? The greater portion of the army was 
busied in plundering; from which occupation many repaired 
joj fully homeward, refusing obedience to their officers, and 
inflated with pride at the valiant deeds they had performed. 

Our army was just then de facto dissolved, and there weie 
but few troops amongst them who could be counted upon. 
But in the sad scene that lay before me, I could not stand by 



96 WAR PICTUEES, 

unconcerned at the sight of so much uncared-for misery ; my 
heart bled at the lamented cries for help of the poor fellows 
lying around me. I then proceeded to visit the prisoners, 
and on inquiring if there were no medical men amongst them, 
I found a few, and with these proceeded to our left wing, 
where the fight had been fiercest. It was a sorrowful kind of 
work we took in hand : as soon as we came to the scene of 
the struggle, friend and foe lay side by side in one undis- 
tinguishable mass, the dead and djang crowded together in a 
frightful heap, mixed with broken ammunition carts and frag- 
ments of baggage. 

We set about putting the houses which stood near the 
plateau, that had been the scene of such murderous strife, 
into the best order we could. Eiddled as they were, how- 
ever, with cannon shot, they were now mere shells. Carpen- 
ter& and joiners did their best to turn them into a sort- of tem- 
porary hospital, but the darkness of the night much impeded 
our exertions, and it was not till three o'clock in the morning 
that our first preparations were completed. 

At five o'clock I again visited the field of battle. Our 
generals had given up all further pursuit of the enemy, and 
were occupied in restoring order amongst the troops — order 
out of chaos indeed ! The whole population of the neighbor- 
hood was collected together, partly in search of booty, partly 
to inquire after the fate of relations and friends, and being 
intermingled with the troops, the whole presented the appear- 
ance of a roving mob. No one seemed disposed to obey the 
orders of his superiors or attend to his duties ; the command- 
ers themselves relaxed their grasp on the troops, and were 
dragged into the whirlpool. Numerous bands of soldiers 
strolled about, howling and bawling, and otherwise mis- 
behaving themselves. Many deserted, for discipline and 
subordination were at an end ; and the army of the Con- 
federates was virtually broken up, despite the victory it had 
achieved. 



rsrCIDENTS OF THE FLIGHT. 9 '7 

If General Scott had had a reserve at hand, behind the 
ranks of which his troops could have been reformed, he might 
easily have restored the fortunes of the day, and at any rate 
have deprived the Confederates of all the advantages of the 
victory. His cavalry had not suffered much, and he could 
have ordered, up Patterson's corps in all haste from Martins- 
burg by forced marches, and by displaying a little energy and 
presence of mind, have retrieved the disaster that had befallen 
the Union banner. 

But, on the other hand, the disorder and panic in the Fed- 
eral army must nevertheless have been very great. The 
whole line of road taken by the Federals in their retreat was 
strewn with weapons, dead and wounded horses, wagons, 
baggage, in sad evidence of their utter rout. At Cub Run 
Bridge, to all appearance, there must have been an awful 
crush amongst the fugitives, the main stream of which, being 
pursued by Early's and Stuart's cavalry, infantry, and artil- 
lery, hurried on in such a helter-skelter style to place the 
river between themselves and. the pursuers, that the bridge 
was thoroughly blocked up by the jamming together of wag. 
ons and horses. In fact, confusion reached its culminating 
point at this bridge. In their frantic efforts to escape, the 
Union soldiers climbed over the obstructing carriages, some 
of which were overturned ; while in the midst of all this 
tumult the first shots of Kemper's pursuing battery began to 
take effect, thereby increasing the panic to the most fearful 
height. 

Hundreds of curious spectators, who had come in carriages 
and on horseback to witness the victory of the Federal troops, 
now added, by their useless and obstructive presence, to the 
disastrous effects of the retreat, beseeching the exhausted 
soldiers to help them, who could not save themselves ; horses 
without riders, bespattered with blood and frantic from 
wounds, dashed into the human mass, and contributed another 
phase of terror to the deplorable scene. Self-preservation 
5 



98 TVAE PICTDKES. 

was now absolute in its sway. Every man sought to save 
his own life, regardless of that of his comrade, whom he 
savagely thrust out of his way ; for they well knew that the 
Confederate horsemen were at their heels. On they came, 
like the wind, sweeping all before them, and trampling many 
a poor wounded fellow to death. Nearer and nearer, too, 
the dreaded roar of the cannon reached their ears. Thus but 
one thought, but one idea, self-preservation, prevails with the 
tangled mass of hunted fugitives. 

The flight of the Federal troops continued till they 
reached Centreville, where was posted Miles's brigade. There, 
in fact, were reserves which had not been turned to account 
in the action : reserves that might have done good service if 
made use of at the proper time and place ; but it would seem 
as if every man lost both head and heart. The very thought 
of a retreat had never entered their minds, still less that of a 
defeat, with such confidence had the generals gone to work. 
But what is no less singular, no arrangements for the pursuit 
of the enemy in case of victory had been made. All things 
considered, it is impossible to avoid severely censuring the 
Federal commanders for tlieir want of foresight. 

Neither General Scott nor General M'Dowell had given 
any orders to Colonel Miles to be prepared with his brigade in 
readiness for any emergency, and consequently this officer found 
his efforts to check the torrents of fugitives, and to collect any 
of them so as to make a stand utterly futile : the panic was 
overwhelming, and the reserve itself was presently whirled 
away in the vortex. 

Let us, in conclusion, bestow another glance on the field 
of battle. What a horrible, lamentable episode in this fratrici- 
dal contest did it not present to the mind ; and the man who 
could, on beholding it, remain unmoved at the terrible scene 
must have had a heart of stone. The reader must forgive me 
if I now refer to details in which my own active participation 
became essential. My description is only meant to give a 



KEGLECT OE THE WOUNDED. 99 

faint sketch of the utter helplessness and neglect of pi-ecaution 
that I was shocked to witness. Prompted by feelings of con- 
scientiousness and humanity, I made it my duty to seek out 
and attend upon the wounded ; and the more so when I .found 
that the work of alleviating their sufferings was performed 
with evident reluctance and want of zeal by many of those whose 
duty it was to do it. I looked upon the poor fellows only as suf- 
fering fellow mortals, brothers inneedof help, and made no dis- 
tinction between friend and foe ; nay, I must own that I was 
at times prompted to give preference to the latter, for the reason 
that some of our men met with attention from their relations 
and friends, who had flocked to the field in numbers to seek 
for them. But in doing so I had to encounter opposition, and 
was even pointed at by some, with muttered curses, as a trai- 
tor to the cause of the Confederacy, for bestowing any attention 

on the "d Yankees." To insure safety from my own 

comrades, I waited upon General Jackson, and explained tohim 
the task I had undertaken. He shook me warmly by the hand 
saying : " You are right ; as a European officer you must 
know what a new army most stands in need of. Act, there- 
fore, according to your own judgment, and, if necessary, shoot 
any ruffians who may dare to interfere with you in your work 
of humanity." 

Thus sanctioned, I returned and went cheerfully to work. 
I took up a position in the centre of the battle field ; and from 
this, as a radiating point, sent my men out with stretchers, 
bandages, refreshments, &c., to succor the wounded. Many 
of our officers and men looked on with more than indifference 
at my exertions when bestowed on wounded enemies. But I 
persevered, and toward evening we had three hospitals : one 
for the slightly wounded, one for amputations and other serious 
cases, and one for those who were wounded beyond all hope. 
The picture of human misery displayed in these ill-provided 
asylums was a heartrending one. A young Federal officer 
especially engrossed my sympathy. Pale as death, he lay 



LofC. 



100 WAR PICTUKIS. 

with his eyes shut and closed lips, whilst tears rolled down his 
cheeks. " Courage, comrade," I said, cheeringly ; " the day 
will come when you will calmly remember this battle as one 
of the things of the past." Gradually opening his eyes, and 
holding out his hand, he pressed mine, and exclaimed, in a 
trembling voice, " Do not give me flxlse hopes, sir : it is all 
up with me." In vain did I endeavor to cheer his flagging 
spirit. " I do not grieve that I shall die," he quietly observ- 
ed ; " for with these stumps" (and he lifted the coverlet, to 
show me that both his feet had been smashed by a round shot) 
" I cannot live long ; but I weep for my poor, distracted coun- 
try. But had I a second life at my command, I would willing- 
ly sacrifice it for the cause of the Union." Deeply moved, I 
stood by the couch of this gallant youth, who with- his dying 
breath still spoke in the same patriotic strain. His eyes had 
again closed ; a faint smile passed over his face, like the young 
dawn of another world. Suddenly he rose nervously in the, 
bed, while his whole frame quivered ; and after exclaiming in 
distinct tones, " Mother ! — father ! " he fell back. His fea- 
tures became rigid — his spirit had fled. 

Here, amongst enemies, he breathed oui his young life, fixr 
away from his beloved relations, and none of them will prob- 
ably ever learn where and how he died. There was nothing to 
give us any clue to his identity, with the exception of a small 
locket with the portrait of a fliir young girl, which he wore 
round his neck. I put it upon the dead man s breast, and took 
care to have it buried with him in the small grave that had 
been dug to receive his body, under the shade of a large chei'- 
ry tree. How many must have died in a similar manner, far 
from their friends, without one word of consolation, without 
one friendly look to cheer their last moments ! 

But enough of this : I could describe a hundred similar 
scenes which I witnessed in the hospitals, but the liveliest 
imagination of the reader could not portray the sad reality of 
such pictures of woe and misery as it was my fate to behold. 



AFTER THE BATTLE. 101 

If the great and powerful among men could but once make 
themselves acquainted, by personal observation, with such 
hospital scenes, they would shudder more than they are prone 
to do at the horrors of war, and would resolve never to draw 
the sword or advocate a resort to it for any light cause. 

Our Generals did their best to reorganize the army, and 
proceeded to draw up a report of the battle, but this was but 
imperfectly accomplished. Johnston's and Longstreet's brig- 
ades had suffered most, as they were nearly the whole day under 
fire. Nearly every company lost from forty to fifty men in 
killed and wounded. The loss in officers especially was ex- 
cessive, some regiments having nearly every officer hors de 
combat. The deaths of Generals Bee, Barlow, and Fisher were 
universally regretted. General Barlow fell at the head of the 
4th Georgia regiment, and with his dying breath encouraged 
his men. Fisher had only arrived a few days previously with 
the 6th North Carolina regiment, and here found the death of 
a hero. General Bee, a former pupil at West Point, was much 
beloved by his men ; he fell in the last attack, and his troops 
became almost frantic when they learned the death of their 
commander. 

According to the report drawn up, the loss of the Confed- 
erate army was 879 men killed, and 2,963 wounded. The loss 
of the Federal army could not have been less — rather greater 
if anything. The brigades of Generals Tyler, Heintzelman, 
Hunter, and Franklin were fearfully cut up. These troops, 
officers and men, who held out to the very last, are entitled to 
the highest praise. Griffin's battery rendered admirable ser- 
vice. 

_ The spoils won by the Confederate army were very con- 
siderable. Besides capturing 28 guns, partly dismounted, 
they took about 1,600 prisoners, including several officers, 
a quantity of arms, carriages, ammunition, baggage, &c. ; 
amongst other things, a state carriage and pair, in the inside 
of which a pair of epaulettes were found, without an owner. 



102 TTAK PICTUKES. 

A rumor prevailed that this ^vas the victorious car of General 
Scott, in which he had intended to make his triumphal entry 
into Richmond. 

However, the severe blow dealt to the Federal cause by 
the defeat at IManassas, so far from discouraging the Union 
Government, aroused it to new activity. A desire for ven- 
geance spread through the whole North. The greatest excite- 
ment prevailed; recruits poured in from all quarters; and 
in a short time a larger and more powerful army was collected 
and brought into training than ever before was seen on that 
continent. General M'Clellan was appointed to the command 
of this army, and it may be fairly asserted that if this general 
had held the command a few weeks earliei", the battle of 
Manassas would not have been lost. 

In the South, on the other hand, matters proceeded more 
recklessly than ever. No attempt was made to remedy the 
confusion and carelessness that had got the upper hand. Our 
politicians were intoxicated with the success of our arms. 
They felt as if they could dictate to the world. " Had not 
the battle of Manassas," they reasoned, " shown that we 
possessed the best generals in the world, that every soldier 
was a hero, — in short, that the South must conquer, and that 
the subjugation of the North was at hand 1 " 



RICHMOND. 103 



CHAPTER X. 

RICHMOND AFTER THE BATTLE OF MANASSAS. 

Rejoicing in tlie town— Adventurers— Gambling hells— Provost-Marsbal "Windei'— 
Secret iiolico— John Minor Botts one of their innocent victims— His sufferings 
— Deplorable state of Richmond. 

The exultation iit the defeat of the great Federal army bor- 
dered in Richmond upon the fixbulous. The whole town was 
in a state of the greatest excitement, and this was kept up by 
the public press. Since the Government had fixed its seat at 
Richmond, a complete change seemed to have come over the 
population. The town was thronged with adventurers from 
every quarter ; and the population, which was formerly 30,000, 
had greatly increased. A number of gambling houses from 
New Orleans and California had started into existence, and 
were plying their nefarious trade with an impudence that is 
scarcely credible. They seemed to spring out of the earth 
like weeds, so that Richmond in a short time counted no less 
than one hundred and seventy of them. Added to this, 
robberies of the worst description were perpetrated amongst 
our quiet population, so that the better classes began seriously 
to think of migrating from Richmond into the interior of the 
country. 

The Government having lost nearly all power of control, 
appointed as provost-marshal for the State of Virginia, with 
the rank of a brigadier-general, a former colonel of the 



104 WAR PICTUBES. 

United States army, J. H. Winder, of Baltimore, All the 
Baltimore men who had taken up their quarters at Richmond 
now fancied they could all have their own way, and scenes 
occurred which created the greatest alarm amongst the peace- 
able citizens. In the public streets, at the theatre, and in the 
boarding houses, men were attacked and murdered, and at 
night scarcely any one dared to walk in the streets. General 
Winder, who seriously intended to put down these disorders, 
formed a secret police, which, however, unfortunately con- 
sisted for the most part of banished Baltimore men, and, to 
their disgrace be it said, of a number of German Jews. A 
fearful state of things now grew up in Richmond. Assassina- 
tions and murder were the order of the day ; all attempts of 
General Letcher and Mayor Mayo to restore the former state 
of order and tranquillity failed in presence of this secret police, 
whose first victims were a number of our most esteemed 
citizens — amongst others, the Hon. John Minor Botts. 

The accusation brought against him was that he was in 
secret communication with the enemy, that he was a member 
of a secret society, whose object was to capture President 
Davis and his Cabinet, and to give them up to the enemy. 
To crown this act of villany, an individual from New Orleans, 
who had brought with him the reputation of a resurrectionist, 
and had onl}^ escaped imprisonment by flight, came forward 
as accuser. Despite the evident proofs of the falsity of the 
accusation, the secret police kept hold of their victim. These 
scoundrels wished especially to show the Government that 
they did not earn their pay for nothing, but that they had a 
care to the safety of President Jefferson Davis. The town, 
on the other hand, was not quieter or safer. Peaceable 
citizens, at their daily avocations, were attacked by armed 
soldiers, whilst drunken bands rendered the country unsafe 
for miles round. Against these scandalous proceedings the 
police took no measures ; but worthy citizens not chargeable 
with any misdemeanor, except that of being loyal subjects 



NUMEBOUS AREKSTS AT RICHMOND. 105 

and well inclined toward the United States Governnient, were 
brought before the Provost-Marshal and locked up. 

Whenever the old State Government of Virginia made a 
show of punishing the real disturbers of the town, these men 
were forcibly rescued by the secret police and allowed tc 
resume their villainous work. 

For a long time did John Minor Botts, accused of being a 
traitor, remain a prisoner in durance ; and it is almost a 
miracle that, in face of the mob, which was urged on by the 
newspapers, he escaped with his life. If ever the United 
States has to indemnify a brave patriot for ill treatment, John 
Minor Botts is the man. 

Attacked and persecuted on all sides, unprotected by his 
own Government, placed at the tender mercies of an excited 
populace, he throughout displayed the calmness and dignity 
of a man conscious of his right, and claiming to be regarded 
as a free citizen of the United States. Declining all the 
proposals of the new Government, he remained true to his 
convictions. 

TliQ arrests at Eichmond increased daily. ■ An imprudent 
word heard by one of the secret police agents, who were 
always spying about to get men into their clutches, was 
sufficient to bring the speaker before the Provost-Marshal, 
and from thence to prison. Owing to the prevailing espion- 
age, no one felt himself any longer free, or safe from his 
neighbor ; even friends of long standing began to mistrust 
each other. A fearful state of things had befallen Eichmond, 
which will ever be remembered by its inhabitants. In this 
city, as elsewhere in the South, trade and commerce came to 
a standstill, so much so that no man would buy or sell or 
barter. It was just as if the town had been occupied by 
hostile troops, bent upon doing all they could to effect its 
ruin. Eichmond during this period, owing to the misman- 
agement of the authorities, friends, and protectors, lost all its 
former prosperity ; and the once fine, flourishing town had 
5* 



106- WAR PICTURES. 

more the appearance of a den of robbers than the chosen 
meeting place of the friends of their country-. Many an 
honest citizeii in this fearful time offered up a heartfelt prayer 
to Heaven : " Preserve me, O Lord, from my friends, for I 
have no fear of the enemy." 



BEAUEEGAED. 107 



CHAPTER XI. 

BEAUREGARD COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMY OP THE 
POTOMAC. 

Tlio victors at Manassas — Inertuess of the Confederates — Activity of M'Clellan 
— Beauregard fortifies Virginia — Disorders and sickness in camp — Beauregard 
goes to tlie Mississippi — Ttie Army of tlie Potomac. 

Whilst the enemy was working with the utmost zeal to 
remedy the losses which they had suffered, and whilst their 
whole attention was concentrated on improving the condition 
of their troops, carefully adopting every measure which 
tended to repair the injuries they had received, our generals 
did literally nothing in the way of preparation for the future. 
The genius of Generals Smith, Jackson, and Johnston had 
shone out brightly at the battle of Manassas. It was they 
who saved the honor of the day, and turned the balance of 
victory in our favor. Beauregard was, however, the ostensi- 
ble hero of Manassas, the man, too, who took Tort Sumter ; 
and whosoever entertained any doubts on the subject, had 
only to purchase, at the cost of two cents, the Richmond 
Despatch, where it was printed in black and white that the 
most victorious warrior of the age was no other than Gen- 
eral Beauregard. It was really most surprising to observe 
the inertness which followed the battle of Manassas. Our 
War Department, our generals, our soldiers, were all re- 
posing on their laurels, lost in the happiest dreams of their 



108 "WAK PICTUEES. 

late success. Nothing was done toward insuring the fruits 
of this victory. The idea of having beaten the Northern 
army was so consoling, that the Southerners began to think 
that what every experienced military man urged — namely 
that the soldier should be taught, as he had still everything 
to learn — was pure folly. " We have now," they said 
" beaten the greatest general of the age," (for poor W infield 
Scott was up to that time so regarded,) " we have destroyed 
his army, and consequently it would be a waste of time to 
drill, exercise, and do other things of that kind ; they would 
now be supei'fluous." 

" Europeans," they said, " who do not know how to kill 
time, and who are not made of the same stuff as we, who all 
are born heroes and soldiers, believe in all this nonsense. 
We need only draw our dreaded bovrie knives, and every 
enemy who is abie to run will do so." 

These ideas predominated among the soldiers of the army 
of the Potomac, and the officers took no pains to counteract 
them. This was indeed a great pity, as the raw material 
existed, and every element was there for the creation of a 
firstrate army, if in the hands of a general competent to the 
task. When General M'Clellan was appointed to the su- 
preme command of the Federal army, and set to work to 
strengthen his position by the construction of fieldworks, in 
order to be enabled to proceed the better with the reorgani- 
zation of his forces, Beauregard at last began to bestir him- 
self and to rouse his officers and men from their lethargy. 
Fortified works on a grand scale were now undertaken, and, 
indeed, the preparations were so extensive that it appeared 
as if the whole State of Virginia was to be fortified. No 
steps were, however, taken to provide for a winter campaign, 
for the erection of hospitals, the improvement of the roads, 
or the instruction of the soldiers. While the strict blockade 
maintaiiied by the United States fleet deprived us of many 
necessaries. 



CHANGE OF COMMANDER. 109 

We were especially ill provided with medicines and 
clothes, and the troops suffered greatly in consequence. 
Added to this, sickness broke out in Beauregard's camp. It 
was the more serious, inasmuch as our authorities had never 
directed their attention to any sanitary precautions. Wound- 
ed men and horses were alike treated in the most negligent 
manner, and the cohsequences were indeed appalling. Dead 
horses lay about in hundreds as they had fallen, and nobody 
seemed to care about it, or to take any steps to put an end to 
a state of things so detrimental to the health of the army. 
Before long, the hospitals in Beauregard's camp became enor- 
mously overcrov,^ded, and the scythe of death reaped a large 
harvest in the narrow lanes of the camp, mowing down the 
lately blooming youth of the South. Happily for the army. 
General Beauregard received orders to assume the command 
of the Confederate army on the Mississippi, and he at once 
left for his new destination, to try conclusions with the 
Federal General Buell. It was, indeed, high time for a 
change in the administration of the army of the Potomac, 
as the demoralization, negligence, and the lax discipline 
which permitted the soldiers to assume a bearing which 
verged on actual insubordination, were becoming quite un- 
bearable. Pale, haggard flices peered out upon you from the 
tents, and forms worn to the bone by hunger and disease 
tottered about. Nobody seemed to exert any authority, and 
nobody was disposed to obey. Like master, like man; no 
one cared for the other ; no one looked to the future — all 
lived for the day, as if no to-morrow was to come, and there 
was no enemy to contend with. Beauregard left his army in 
the most deplorable condition, hurrying straight to the scene 
of his future defeat, a defeat which he had only escaped at 
Manassas by sheer good fortune. 



no WAR PICTURES. 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE CAMPAIGN IN "WESTERN VIRGINIA. 

Western Virginia — General Wise— General Henningsen — Headquarters, Charles- 
ton, Va. — The enemy crosses the Ohio — General Wise abandons Charleston, 
and hands over the command to Henningsen. 

The camf)aign which now commenced in Western Virginia 
offered features of peculiar interest. It is to be regretted 
that the Confederate Government did not sufficiently appre- 
ciate the value of this mountainous region. It was looked 
upon as a sort of Siberia, and the generals and troops sent 
there were regarded as exiles. 

General Wise, who was feared on account of his upright 
and straightforward character, received orders to establish his 
headquarters in Western Virginia ; to drive back the Federal 
troops, which had already crossed the Ohio ; to keep the coun- 
try clear, and to make a demonstration in the direction of 
Wheeling, in order to dislodge the Virginian Legislature, 
which still lingered there and remained true to the Union. 
This Avas no small task in itself; but the orders which had 
been given him with no friendly intent, did not daunt the old 
soldier. He inquired with quiet earnestness of manner, what 
troops would be placed at his disposal for the accomplishment 
of his task, and was told by the Secretary of War, that as the 
Govei-nment had principally to keep the Potomac in view, 



GBNBEAL WISE. Ill 

the War Department was under the necessity of sending all 
reinforcements in that direction ; that he (General Wise) 
must endeavor to collect what troops he could in Virginia 
itself, and that the Government would take care that he 
should he well supplied with ammunition. 

Any other general would, in all probability, have thrown 
up his commission. General Wise, however, politely took 
leave of the official authorities, and resolved to accomplish 
the difficult task allotted to him. 

At Eichmond his friends received him with the most 
hearty welcome. Officers and men tendered their services. 
General Henningsen, an Englishman by birth, well known in 
Europe, was one of the first to wait upon him. General 
Henningsen, a man gifted with a fine commanding exterior, 
and endowed with great abilities, proffered his services in 
the most handsome manner. General Wise, though suffering 
from ill health, then wprked day and night in making the 
necessary preparations for the campaign. He issued a procla- 
mation to the people of Virginia, which was heartily responded 
to. In a short time, having assembled a considerable force, 
he resolved to move his headquarters to Louisburg. From 
this point he proceeded down the Kanawha Valley, where he 
was received with great respect, not from his being a general 
of the Confederate army, but from the grateful sense enter- 
tained of his conduct when formerly acting as governor of 
that district. 

The Virginian representative at Congress was George 
Summers, member of the Washington Government, who en- 
joined his constituents to remain true to the Union, or, at 
least, to observe a strict neutrality. 

General Wise, without impediment, arrived at the small 
town of Charleston, and there established his headquarters. 

In a short time his little army numbered 2,500 infantry, 
700 cavalry, and three battalions of artillery. Colonel Tomp- 
kins, formerly in the United States army, joined him shortly 



112 WAR PICTURES. 

afterward with a few companies, which brought up his 
effective strength to 4,000 men. As regards the Virginian 
recruits, or volunteers, they were scarcely of any use what- 
ever. General Wise chiefly depended upon a small body of 
men, consisting of one company under the command of his 
son, and upon three to four sqjadrons of cavalry, and the 
artillery, which was deficient, however, in guns. 

The Federal troops took up a position at Parkersburg 
and Point Pleasant, on the Ohio. Their commander having 
ordered his troops up the Kanawha river, in order to dispute 
the possession of the valley. General Wise directed Colonel 
Patton to drive the enemy from the river. An engagement 
ensued, in which Colonel Patton was severely wounded ; but 
he succeeded partially in driving back the enemy. 

It was at this juncture that the news arrived of General 
M'Clellan's success at Rich Mountain. General Wise there- 
upon, fearing an attack from superior forces, ordered de- 
fensive works to be constructed on Gauley river, and sent in 
a report of what he had done to the Government at Rich- 
mond, requesting reinforcements and supplies of arms and 
ammunition. Suddenly the news reached the camp that the 
enemy, after crossing the Ohio, had arrived at Marietta. 
General Wise immediately advanced against them. An en- 
gagement ensued, in which the enemy got the worst of it and 
retreated. The tide of battle, however, turned presently after, 
and after a brilliant cavalry engagement. General Wise found 
it advisable to fall back on Charleston (Va.). Colonel Tomp- 
kins, who commanded at Charleston, was ordered to . send 
forward all the troops he could spare toward Ripley, while 
Colonel Richardson, who commanded the important post at 
Gauley Bridge, was ordered to keep a sharp look out for 
General Rosecrans, lest he should make a diversion on Gauley 
river, which Avould have placed General Wise in the predica- 
ment of surrendering at discretion to the enemy. 

General Wise effected his retreat in good order. After 



GENERAL WISE RESIGNS. 113 

setting fire to Charleston he withdrew to Gauley Bridge. He 
sent his son, Captain "Wise, to Richmond, to lay a complaint 
before the Confederate Government that he had not been 
properly supported, and tendered his resignation, offering the 
command to General Henningsen, which was accepted. 



114 WAK PICTUBES. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



OPERATIONS ON GAULEY RIVER. 



General Heuningscu assumes the command of "Wieo's legion — Floyd as r genera 
— Floyd and 'Wise— Awkward position of tlio General — Floyd is attacked— 
His defeat— Hasty flight — His report to the Ministry of War. 

General IIenningsen is one of those men who speak little, 
but act quickly and with decision. He knew how to gain the 
love and confidence of his soldiers in the highest degree. As 
soon as he had reached the headquarters of General Wise, 
there to assume the command, after a short interview the 
two officers soon understood each other, and Henningsen, 
without loss of time, ordered a careful reorganization of the 
army, which had suffered considerably from fatiguing 
marches. 

In a few days it was manifest that an able soldier had 
taken command ; so that all the Government had to do waa 
to send reinforcements, ammunition, arms, and money to pay 
the troops. The Confederate Brigadier-General Floyd, the 
former Secretary of War of the United States, who had taken 
up a position in Whiteville, near the Virginia and Tennessee 
Railway, received orders to hasten his arrangements, and 
proceed to the support of General Wise's legion. General 
Floyd, however, preferred a more quiet kind of life. He 
liked to receive his friends at his country seat in the vicinity, 
where they could thoroughly enjoy themselves at his well- 
fiirnished table, with his excellent wines. 



GENERAL FLOYD'S DOINGS. 115 

Generals Floyd and Wise were bitter enemies. Floyd 
often laughed at Wise's mishaps, and when urged by the 
latter to hasten his preparations, he coolly replied, that as 
soon as he had assembled his troops he should move ; adding 
that he would undertake to drive General Rosecrans across 
the Ohio in a fortnight. 

Floyd was much given to expatiate on the great and 
mighty deeds that were to immortalize his name. He was 
liberal too in making presents. It is no wonder, therefore, 
that under such circumstances, he had many friends and ad- 
mirers ready to sing his praises. 

He remained, meantime, quietly at his country seat ; and 
it vi^as not until he had been repeatedly urged to move, that 
he resolved to start with his troops and afford relief to poor 
General Wise. 

He now proceeded to organize his staff. For its chief, he 
appointed the editor and proprietor of the Lynchburg JRe- 
publican (a paper said to be in Floyd's pay). His first aide- 
de-camp was the sub-editor of the same paper; chief engineer, 
a former mechanist ; the leader of his cavalry, a farmer 
named Harnan, to whom he solemnly promised to bring back 
the cavalry precisely in the same condition in which it was 
on going forth to the wars : that is to say, without any loss 
whatever. Floyd must, therefore, have fully intended to 
spare his men as much as possible, and to avoid fighting. 

These extraordinary arrangements having been completed, 
General Floyd resolved to commence his victorious career. 
He sent his baggage and guns to the railway depot, that they 
might be forwarded as far as possible by the train ; but here 
he met with a sad obstruction. Nothing had been prepared for 
such an eventuality, neither carts nor horses ; and although 
the great general had held his headquarters at Whiteville for 
three months, he was quite ignorant of the capabilities of the 
railway for military purposes. So he had to issue an order 
for the baggage and artillery to be taken on to the depot at 
Newbern, to have it conveyed from thence. 



116 WAR PICTURES. 

After a three days' march, the ofl&cers charged with the 
mission met with the same amioying obstacle, nothing having 
been done here to provide the means of transport. The wag- 
ons and batteries had, therefore, to return to Whiteville, 
and to proceed thence over the hills to the appointed place of 
meeting. White Sulphur Spring. 

Floyd's brigade now began to move like a worm, whilst 
the chief of his staff and his aide-de-camp gave a grand account 
of the wonderful march in the Lynchburg Republican. The 
store of flour at Wolf Creek, which had been six months 
there, was found unfit for use ; the bridges over the streams 
were broken down, and the roads in such a state that they 
were scarcely passable even for pedestrians, much less for 
baggage and artillery. At a distance of scarcely forty miles 
from the city, one of his 12-pounder rifled cannon fell down 
a declivity, killing men and horses. Thus his operations 
commenced with a bad omen. Moreover, on the road, many 
of his men deserted ; and when, at last, after a most fatiguing 
march, the brigade reached the appointed rendezvous, instead 
of 3,400 men, with which he started, it numbered only 1,200. 
It is plain, therefore, that before having seen a battle field, 
the precious management of the commander had ruined the 
efficiency of his brigade. 

Meantime, Wise's legion, under the admirable manage- 
ment of General Henningseii, had undergone a complete 
metamorphosis, and, considering the few means placed at his 
disposal by the Government at Richmond, he had already 
effected wonders. Both officers and men placed the fullest 
confidence in him. Great as were his deserts, he was not 
properly appreciated by the Confederate Government — most 
probably by reason of his being a foreigner. This would 
have not prejudiced his chances of success, had he been in- 
clined to take service in the Federal army. 

After much delay, Floyd's brigade did at last make its 
appearance, and still later came the general himself The 



FLOYD AND WISE. 117 

meeting of Floyd and Wise was anything but amiable. Gen- 
eral Floyd, as holding superior rank, received with a patroniz- 
ing air General Wise's address, and his report on the state 
of the brigade and the measures he deemed advisable. It was 
really humiliating for the old officer, who had just gone 
through, if not a successful, at least an honorable campaign, 
to find himself the subordinate of a man whom he despised, 
and from whom, he knew very well, he had to expect every 
species of petty annoyance, for the mean gratification of show- 
ing off his superior rank. With a proud bearing, and earnest 
look, General Wise paid his visit, but declined the proffered 
hand, and in a few curt words said that he awaited his supe- 
rior officer's orders. On General Floyd inquiring into the 
condition of his troops. Wise replied that he would order the 
chief of his staff to present him with the lists, and thus the 
two commanders separated as unreconciled as before. 

On the same day, General Floyd received reenforcements 
from the 1st Mississippi, Louisiana, and Virginia regiments, 
and also nine guns from the regular army, which gave to his 
brigade a formidable accession of strength. On the following 
day a general order was issued by Generals Floyd and Wise 
for the troops to advance to Sewell Mountain. 

Floyd then proceeded westward toward Sewell Moun- 
tain, where he was followed, a few days afterward, by Wise's 
legion ; and after driving in the enemy's outposts, he rapidly 
approached his destination. 

General Rosecrans now withdrew his advanced troops 
from Locust Lane and took up a position near Hawk's Nest, 
there to await the further operations of our generals. Gen- 
eral Floyd, unmolested, reached Dogwood Gap, where the 
road from Summersville crosses that from Louisburg to 
Charleston (Va.) Here he placed in position a small battery 
of two guzis to prevent a flank movement on the side of the 
Federal general Cox, who was at Carnifex Ferry with about 
2,000 men. 



118 WAR PICTURES. 

The main body of the troops then took the direction of 
Picket's Mill, a few miles distant from the enemy's outposts. 
Scarcely had we arrived there when two orderlies hastened 
up to inform us that the enemy's generals, Matthews and 
Tyler, had made a show of attacking our rear. General 
Floyd immediately broke up his camp and commenced his 
march about midnight, to save his rear as well as his baggage, 
both of which were in danger. 

Generals Wise and Henningsen were ordered to hold 
Picket's Mill at all risks, and to prevent any flank movement 
the enemy might attempt at Hawk's Nest. Floyd marched 
with his brigade rapidly on Carnifex Ferry, which place he 
reached about noon. He found on his arrival there that the 
United States troops had made a retrograde movement to 
prevent an attack by our troops on Hawk's Nest. General 
Floyd then resolved to raise the boats which the enemy had 
sunk, and therewith convey his troops to the opposite bank to 
take possession of the favorable position abandoned by the 
enemy. As soon as the chief of the engineers had informed 
General Floyd that he had completed that prodigious feat, 
which took him full twenty-four hours, whilst General Price, 
in half that time, took an army of 13,000 men across the 
river Osage, the troops were at once conveyed across to the 
other side. The infantry got safely over, but in conveying 
the cavalry, one of the large boats was upset, and six men 
and two horses were drowned. The unfortunate general now 
found himself in an awkward position : there he was with his 
infantry on one bank, whilst the whole of his cavalry and ar- 
tillery remained on the other. The alarm amongst the infan- 
try became every minute greater, for should the enemy get 
wind of the predicament in which the general was placed, 
they would not have failed to capture the whole army without 
firing a shot. The general shouted to his chief of engineers 
on the other side to construct boats in all haste ; but it would 
have been just as easy for him to jump over the moon as to 



' PASSAGE OP GATJLET EIVEE. 119 

build a boat. He, therefore, did the best thing he could do ; 
he mounted a horse, and set off as hard as he could go, to in- 
form Generals Wise and Henningsen of the awkward position 
of their comrade, which news caused the greatest hilarity at 
headquarters. 

General Henningsen, in this emergency, sent over his 
chief engineer, Captain Bolton,* who -constructed floats quite 
capable of taking the troops across, although the river was 
now swollen by heavy rain. 

Meantime General Floyd set earnestly to work to fortify 
his position, and sent out patrols, to ascertain the movements 
of the enemy. On the following morning, when all the infan- 
try was safely over, news arrived tha-t the enemy, in great 
strength, was moving down from Gauley Bridge, and had 
already occupied Cross Lane. The commander of the Fede- 
ral troops had already been apprised of General Floyd's mis- 
hap with the ferry boats, and hastened to endeavor to cut off 
his infantry. Colonel Tyler, indeed, felt so certain of Floyd 
and his infantry that he did not go to work seriously enough. 
Instead of first ascertaining Floyd's real strength and the na- 
ture of his position, he was imprudent enough to place his 
outposts no further than 200 yards from his camp. Floyd, 
on being informed that the strength of the Federal troops did 
not exceed 1,200 men, resolved to attack them. The plan 
succeeded. After driving in the outposts by a sudden attack, 
he compelled the rest to beat a retreat. But this coup-de-main, 
was not of much importance, for the Federal troops were 
driven back with very little loss ; but the chief of the staff 
delighted the readers of his newspaper with a glowing report, 
as if General Floyd had achieved a great victory. Floyd 
could hardly have been ignorant of the motive for this at- 
tempt to glorify him ; moreover, he loved to see himself fig- 
uring in print as a great general. 

* An Englishman by birth, who Lad served in the British army. 



120 WAR PICTURES. 

This little affair made him, his officers and men feel quite 
presumptuous ; indeed the idea was entert.ained of advancing 
between the forces of Rosecrans and Cox, so as to defeat the 
one in the vicinity of Hudsonville, and to cut off the retreat 
of the other on Charleston, and capture him ; in short, Gen- 
eral Floyd entertained great Napoleonic ideas. His quarter- 
masters received orders to provide ten days' rations for the 
men, which was done ; and his troops having gained some 
rest, he resolved to commence operations. 

As soon, however, as General Rosecrans had been in- 
formed of the crossing of the Gauley river by Floyd's troops, 
as also of the mishap to Colonel Tyler, as quick as lightning 
he dashed forward on Floyd's flank, and before the latter had 
become aware of his presence he boldly attacked him, despite 
the fatigue of his own men, who had performed a march of 
twenty-five miles on execra^Dle roads, without any opportunity 
of taking rest ; it was only with the greatest difficulty that 
Floyd could maintain himself in his position. At nightfall 
General Rosecrans again led his men to the attack, and after 
a short engagement drove Floyd's army from all its positions. 
Without giving himself the trouble to look after his defeated 
men, or to attempt to organize an orderly retreat, Floyd, ac- 
companied by his staff, was the first to reach the other side 
of Gauley river. Gradually his men dropped in with all 
haste to put the waters of the stream between them and their 
pursuers. That so many of them contrived to reach the 
other bank in safety, can only be ascribed to the fatigue of 
General Rosecrans's troops. 

Yet scarcely had General Floyd recovered from this de- 
feat and flight, when he must needs appear in a brilliant light 
before the world, and accordingly forwarded the following re- 
port to the Confederate Secretary of War : 

" I am fully convinced that I should have driven back 
General Rosecrans on Toussansville, beaten Cox's army, then 



FLOYD DEFEATED BY KOSECEAISrS. ISl 

marched direct down the Kanawha valley, and have occupied 
Charleston, if the reinforcements which I had ordered General 
Wise to send me had reached me in proper time. I am con- 
vinced that if I had had 6,000 men instead of 1,500, I should 
have annihilated the enemy and taken the rest prisoners. 

" J. B. Floyd, C. S. A." 

Now it is well known that as soon as General Floyd asked 
General Wise to send him reenforcements, he forthwith com- 
municated with General Henningsen, when that officer started, 
in all haste, to join him with 2,000 men. Moreover, Hen- 
ningsen left orders for two other regiments to follow imme- 
diately. Not only did the last-named general send off all the 
disposable troops he could, but he even sent more reenforce- 
ments to Floyd than he was justified in doing, in order that 
he might give him the utmost possible support. Unfortu- 
nately those troops arrived when the light-footed Floyd had 
already recrossed the river with his defeated soldiers, and had 
destroyed the timber bridge which had been constructed. It 
is likely enough that General Floyd in person accompanied 
the officer across the Gauley river who took the despatch to 
General Wise. He had no wish to be captured by Rosecrans 
and sent off to Washington. 

Floyd managed to save the greater part of his brigade. 
And so it happened that, notwithstanding the simple, truthful 
report of this affair which Generals Wise and Henningsen 
sent in to the War Department, Floyd's report was believed, 
and he himself praised for the great bravery he had displayed. 
6 



132 WAR PICTCKES. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

CAMP DEFIANCE, CHEAT MOUNTAIN, COTTON HILL. 

General Wise proceeds to Fayette County — Vain attack — Floyd goes to Big Sewell 
Mountain — Heuningsen and Wise intrench themselves in Camp Defiance — Gen- 
eral Lee goes to Huttonsvillo — Floyd, Wise, and Henniugsen operate against 
each other — Animosity of the two "brigades — General Lee acts as conciliator — 
He concentrates an army of 2S,000 men — Jackson's defeat at Cheat Mountain — 
Changes in the command — Floyd is appointed to the chief command — Wise and 
Hennlngsen are compelled to submit — Floyd breaks up Wise's Jegion and goes 
to Cotton Hill — Outpost skirmish at night — German soldiers and their songs — 
Rosecraus defeats Floyd — Floyd is transferred to Tennessee— Wise's legion at 
Richmond. 

When Floyd took post at C'arnifex Ferry, General Wise 
marched down Big Creek to Fayette County, where the ene- 
my's troops lay in considerable numbers. He had to out- 
flank the enemy's position, and sent Colonel Anderson with 
his regiment over one of the narrow mountain passes to at- 
tack them on that side. The road was, however, so bad and 
impracticable that Anderson was soon obliged to return. 
Meanwhile serious fighting had taken place at Big Creek, be- 
tween our troops and the hostile batteries, and our riflemen 
were briskly engaged with those of the enemy, without, how- 
ever, any result being attained, and General Wise was com- 
pelled to fall back again on his old quarters. 

Meantime General Floyd continued his retreat toward 
Big Sewell Mountain, where he reposed for a few days to give 
some rest to his men. He then held a coiuicil of war, at 



CAMP DEFIANCE. 123 

which it was unanimously decided to move still further back, 
and the army, consequently, retreated twenty miles more. 
Generals Wise and Henningsen declared to Floyd that he 
might retreat quietly to Meadow Bridge, but that they were 
determined to maintain the position which they held. Gen- 
eral Henningsen ordered Captain Bolton to make an in- 
trenched camp, which received the name of Camp Defiance. 
General Wise approved the plan of keeping a footing here, 
so as to maintain communications with General Lee in the 
northwest of Virginia, in order to carry out a plan mutually 
agreed upon. 

In conformity with this plan. General Lee had received in- 
structions to take the remnant of Garnett's corps, which had 
been dispersed by General M'Clellan, and with this force, 
aided by strong reinforcements, to clear the northwest coun- 
ties, which were occupied in great strength by the enemy, and 
to bring them back to allegiance, as they were of great im- 
portance to the Government. This was Herculean work ; but 
General Lee did not shrink from it. He commenced his 
march from Henfersville to Huttonsville, with the intention 
of cutting off the Federal general Reynolds, with his 6,000 
men, posted at Tygart's river. He ordered General Jackson, 
stationed at Greenbriar river, to advance through Cheat Moun- 
tain Pass, rendered so celebrated by General M'Clellan, to 
outflank the enemy. Genqj-al Jackson carried out his instruc- 
tions to the letter, and, although the roads were in a dreadful 
state from heavy rains, he overcame every obstacle, and ar- 
rived at his destination. Here, however, he found the enemy 
well protected by blockhouses and intrenchments, and ready 
to resist any attack. 

Not having received the signal agreed upon with General 
Lee, General Jackson, after much exertion, withdrew to. his 
former position. Here he learnt that General Lee, with all 
his forces, had advanced into the Kanawha valley to relieve 
Generals Wise and Floyd of their respective commands, and 



124 WAR PICTUEES. 

to drive the enemy out of the western frontiers. He at once 
took the direction of Meadow Bridge, with all his troops, 
where General Floyd had established his headquarters, whilst 
Generals Wise and Henningsen held their position at Sewell 
Mountain. 

General Floyd, who was greatly annoyed at his having 
gone so far with his brigade, ordered General "Wise (on the 
strength of his rank as a full brigadier-general) to give up 
Sewell Mountain and to retire to Meadow's Bluff, as that po- 
sition was a safer one. Old Wise, however, knew Floyd too 
well, and was aware that as soon as he obeyed the order, 
Floyd would take the advantage of the departure of his troops 
to gain access to his position by another road. Floyd would 
then have saved his reputation as a general, and held up Wise 
to the derision of the world for having taken flight. General 
Wise, therefore, resolved to "remain in his strong position, 
and paid no further attention to General Floyd and his orders. 
Floyd thereupon sent a complaint to the War Department 
against Wise and Henningsen ; and such a state-of animosity 
grew out of this between the two brigades, that the enemy, 
had they only been made aware of it, could have annihilated 
the two separated corps. 

At this juncture. General Lee made his appearance with a 
portion of his troops, and assumed the superior command. 
He fixed his headquarters near Floyd, and after a long con- 
versation with the latter he hastened to the camp of Gene- 
rals Wise and Henningsen to inspect the state of the brigade, 
and, if possible, to put an end to the misunderstanding which 
existed between Wise and Floyd and their respective corps. 

General Lee is an open-hearted, honest soldier, free from 
all that pomposity which the younger generals are so fond of 
displaying. After Generals Wise and Henningsen had can- 
didly and frankly communicated to him the details of their 
campaign, he, accompanied by these generals, inspected the 
state of the brigade and the intrenchments. After a careful 



GENEEAL EOSECRANS. 125 

inspection he expressed his full satisfaction at the excellent 
appearance of the corps, and then returned to Meadow Bluff. 
He next ordered Floyd's brigade forward to Big Sewell 
Mountain, and desired that general to take up his position 
there without delay. General Floyd, who had received large 
reinforcements, set to work at once, and had soon a line of 
defence to the extent of twelve English miles. 

Meantime, General Rosecrans remained inactive at the 
other side of Sewell's Mountain, contenting himself by merely 
sending out a few detached companies to watch the move- 
ments of Floyd and Wise, without, however, firing a single 
shot to disturb them. General Lee's troops now advanced, 
bringing up the effective strength of the army in Western 
Virginia to about 28,000 men, with a very good park of ar- 
tillery. General Lee had scarcely concentrated all his forces 
and made the necessary preparations for a general attack, 
when our patrols and skirmishers brought in the news that 
during the night General Rosecrans had assembled his troops 
and fallen back upon his position at Gauley Bridge. The ex- 
pected battle did not, therefore, take place, for General Lee 
wisely refrained from pursuit. 

General Rosecrans was no sooner aware of the presence 
of General Lee and his forces at Big Sewell Mountain, than 
he hastily gave up his post of observation, and proceeded 
by Gauley Bridge, Toussansville, toward Greenbriar river, 
where a corps of observation, under the Confederate General 
Jackson, was posted. 

General Jackson had not the slightest notion of the storm 
that was gathering over his head. He was aware that both 
the enemy's armies were at Sewell's Mountain, and indulged 
in a feeling of perfect security. News of the movements of 
hostile troops on the road to Toussansville did not cause him 
the slightest alarm, and he laughed at the anxiety expressed 
by some of his officers. General Jackson had a number of 
officers on a visit at his house, and was enjoying himself in 



126 WAK PICTURES. 

their society, while a violent autumn storm was raging out- 
side. The company was startled in their revelry by an aide- 
de-camp suddenly rushing in with the news that large masses 
of troops were in rapid advance from Cheat Mountain. This 
information was received with some derision, but General 
Jackson ordered Colonel Eust to advance with a battalion to 
drive back the skirmishing force, as it was supposed to be, 
that had advanced so near. A moment after a heavy fire of 
musketry, accompanied by the sound of artillery, made the 
guests jump to their feet. They all rushed out uncovered to 
their respective posts ; the enemy was then already debouch- 
ing through the pass, and kept up a well-sustained fire, which 
caused the greatest confusion amongst Jackson's men, who 
were not at all prepared for this sudden attack. 

In vain did the officers exert themselves to get their troops 
together and make them stand firm ; it was impossible to 
bring the men, so suddenly disturbed from their rest, to any 
sort of order and steadiness, and General Eosecrans poured 
such deadly volleys into the assembling troops that they took 
to flight like a herd of startled deer. General Jackson, there- 
fore, was soon compelled to abandon his position, and to re- 
tire to the moimtains, where finally, after great loss, he suc- 
ceeded in taking up a position at Ford Creek. The enemy, 
satisfied with the success that they had achieved, destroyed all 
the buildings, barracks, and fortifications, and, laden with a 
considerable booty, returned again to their quarters at Gauley 
Bridge. 

General Lee never brought General Jackson to account 
for this mishap, as he himself was perhaps in some measure 
the cause of it. After the departure of General Eosecrans 
from his front, he must have known that that active general 
would not so willingly have left his position before Sewell 
Mountain unless he saw a certain chance of success in another 
quarter. He ought, therefore, at once to have informed Jack- 
son of Eosecrans's movements, and urged him to be on his 



CHAKGE OF COMMAIS^D. 127 

guard. General Lee, usually a most cautious general, did not 
on this occasion show sufficient prudence, and had to pay dearly 
for it. Happily, winter now set in in these mountains, and 
compelled the hostile parties on both sides to remain inactive. 
The Secretary of War, annoyed that General Lee should have 
allowed Rosecrans to escape from Sewell's Mountain, de- 
prived him of his command, and sent him to Georgia and 
South Carolina. General Loring was ordered to Winchester 
to reinforce Stonewall Jackson, and the latter, after his mis- 
hap at Cheat Mountain, had to transfer his services to Louisi- 
ana. Generals Wise and Henningsen, moreover, were or- 
dered to Richmond to defend themselves against the charges 
brought against them, and during their absence General Floyd 
was appointed to the chief command of both brigades. 

It will be apparent from these alterations in the respective 
commands, that a complete change was effected in the Virgin- 
ian army. General Floyd, on assuming his new authority, 
displayed his aptitude for command by contriving so to mix 
up artillery and cavalry, horses and harnesses, &c., that if 
General Wise had returned, he would have had the labor of a 
giant to perform, to put things straight again. 

Winter having set in with great severity. General Floyd 
requested the Secretary of War to order him to proceed with 
his brigade to Cotton Hill, in Kanawha valley, as he should 
there have a better chance of encountering General Rosecrans. 
This request was granted, and one fine day. General Floyd 
took his departure, carrying with him everything that he 
thought might be serviceable, and leaving only a remnant of 
Wise's brigade behind. 

Cotton Hill is situate in Fayette county, on the river 
Kanawha, just opposite the mouth of Gauley river. From 
its heights the enemy's camp could be seen, spread over the 
plain, which is there some miles in extent ; General Rose- 
crans having his headquarters at Hawk's Nest, at the hand- 
some plantation belonging to Colonel Tompkins, who was 



128 WAR riCTUKBS. 

serving in our legion, while from the top of the house waved 
the flag of the United States, as if in derision of the owner. 

After a very difficult march, General Floyd reached Cot- 
ton Hill, and his first step was to seize all the boats upon the 
Kanawha river. Shortly after his arrival, some sharp outpost 
skirmishing commenced. This, which is always the most un- 
pleasant sort of fighting, was here particularly so, for rifle 
bullets kept whistling about in such numbers in the valley, 
that it was impossible to relieve guard in the daytime. Tlie 
enemy's riflemen lay concealed behind every rock and tree, 
and wherever they saw the slightest stir, crack went their ri- 
fles. The petite guerre carried on in this quiet valley was ren- 
dered additionally fierce by mutual animosity, for our men 
did not wish to remain one jot behind the enemy in the ri- 
valry of deadly strife. Even, the river which separated the 
combatants seemed to partake of the turmoil that raged on 
its banks. And when the firing was over, as night came on, 
nothing was to be heard but the roaring of the waters, inter- 
mingled now and then with snatches of song from some of the 
German soldiers on either side, which produced a touching 
effect at such an hour. Ofttimes one of our Germans could 
be seen leaning on his rifle, listening to the sounds of his 
mother tongue as they were wafted over from the enemy's 
camp. At times, one of the sentinels would shout across, 
" From what part do you come, countryman ? " " I am a 
Bavarian. From whence art thou ? " " Halt ! Who's 
there? " The dialogue is interrupted by bullets whistling by 
in all directions. Who knows that those two Germans, who, 
only a few minutes before, were talking peacefully together 
about their fatherland, may not be now lying dead far away 
from their native land 1 But such is a soldier's life ! 

Meantime a portion of the cavalry of Wise's legion came 
into camp ; the General himself, who still at Richmond, had 
sent in a request to proceed with his legion to Eoanoke Island, 
as the enemy was shortly expected there. 



GENBRAI. EOSECEANS. 129 

The Confederate troops remained for a long time con- 
fronting the troops of General Eosecrans, but all the fighting 
was confined to outpost skirmishing. General Eosecrans at 
last, weary of this inactivity, crossed the river Kanawha one 
fine winter's morning, with two or three columns, and sud- 
denly attacked our position. General Floyd never expected 
such an uncivil proceeding on the part of Eosecrans : probably 
he did not expect to be molested at such a vile season of the 
year, in his by no means comfortable position. 

Scarcely any preparations had been made for repellmg an 
attack, as no one imagined that we should have to encounter 
a winter campaign. General Eosecrans, consequently, had it 
all his own way, especially as Floyd, as soon as he heard of 
the enemy's advance, pleaded illness and handed over the 
chief command to the head of his staff", who deemed the only 
safe course was to retreat. To fight shy at the approach of 
a resolute enemy, seemed to be a species of chronic disease 
with both Floyd and the chief of his staff. This time the 
retreat was so hasty, that a quantity of property belonging to 
the Government fell into the hands of the enemy. It was 
just as well, however, that we did make good speed, for 
Eosecrans's advanced troops had already attacked our rear 
and were with difficulty kept at bay. Our troops endeavored 
by clambering over stony paths to gain the crest of the 
mountain, and fortunately our rear guard was commanded by 
a brave officer, Colonel George Croghan, who manfully re- 
sisted all the enemy's attacks. For defence or attack, the 
colonel was always at hand, and the safety of Floyd's brigade 
was undoubtedly due to the resolute conduct of Colonel 
Croghan. 

But my valued comrade did not live long enough to wear 
his laurels. A team of carts laden with provisions had been 
delayed, and ran the risk of falling into the hands of the 
enemy, who were almost at our heels, and already sending a 
few bullets amongst us to hasten our flight ; when Colonel 
6* 



130 WAR PICTUEES. 

Croghan, followed by twenty-five of his lancers, dashed down 
the road to check the enemy, with the view to save the carts, 
but he had scarcely reached the latter, when two bullets 
brought him to the ground. His men on seeing this imme- 
diately fled. In Colonel Croghan we lost a worthy, gallant 
comrade, and the State an excellent officer. 

General Rosecrans pursued Floyd's troops for nearly 
twenty-five miles, and only gave up the chase on finding the 
roads so blocked up by broker^ carts, dismounted guns, and 
other obstacles ; he then left the brigade to pursue its way 
unmolested. Floyd pulled up at the banks of Wolf's Creek, 
a rocky, uncongenial spot, and then endeavored to reassemble 
his scattered men. In a few days, an order came from the 
War Department, for General Floyd and his brigade to pro- 
ceed to Tennessee, at the same time recalling Wise's legion 
to Richmond. 

Joyfully did Wise's troops part company with Floyd's, 
and a few days after Richmond presented an exciting scene. 
With banners flying and drums beating, the remnants of 
this once fine legion entered the town, whilst thousands of 
citizens came forth to greet the warriors from the west ; fair 
hands waved their handkerchiefs from the windows in token 
of welcome, whilst the populace vociferously cheered. Yet 
many an eye was dim, for the thinned ranks showed the loss 
of many a lamented relative. A carriage, with two ladies in 
deep mourning, moved silently along — conveying the mother 
and the intended bride of Colonel Croghan; they brought 
with them a handsome flag as a token of remembrance to his 
regiment of their late brave commander. In the evening a 
banquet was given by the citizens to the legion, and toasts 
drank in honor of Generals Wise and Henningsen, and to the 
glory and prosperity of the country. 



GEISrEEAI. m'cleltan. 131 



CHAPTER XV. 

m'clellan appointed to the chief command of the 

federal army. 

M'CIellan appointed Commander-in-Chief of the army on the Potomac — Condition 
of that army — Its reorganization — The General beloved by the soldiers — His 
activity— His energy and talent. 

After tlie severe blows which the Federal army had re- 
ceived at Bull Run and Manassas, the eyes of the Govern- 
ment were opened to the fact that some other system must 
be adopted, and that men of talent were needed to carry out 
its views ; it had to cast about for a general who should be 
found to combine in his person all the qualities necessary to 
shield the country from a repetition of such disasters. Now 
it happened that not long before. General George M'Clellan 
had, with a mixed body of troops, in a country which had 
offered every facility to the enemy to maintain a long and 
wearisome guerilla warfare, in a very short time achieved a 
victory which drew upon him the attention and favorable 
opinion of military critics both in his own country and in 
Europe. 

A zealous sense of duty and an enthusiastic and patriotic 
spirit enabled him to overcome every obstacle that stood in 
his way. He understood, as his recent brilliant success over 
General Garnett amply proved, how to inspire his men with 
much of his own daring and energy, and they followed their 



182 WAR PICTURES. 

commander, with devotion, in the path which rarely fails tD 
lead to honor and victory. 

When, as already stated, the Federal Government was 
anxiously looking aroimd for an efficient genei'al to organize 
as well as to lead an army capable of protecting the State 
and of winning victory back to the Union banner, General 
Winfield Scott, whose advancing years no longer allowed him 
to take the command himself, at once proposed George 
M'Clellan as the man who combined the requisite energy and 
talents for such a post. The Government at Washington 
followed his advice, and summoned General M'Clellan to the 
capital ; without hesitation they intrusted him with the chief 
command of an army which, recently defeated and disorgan- 
ized, had lost all confidence in its commanders. 

The army that needed this reorganization and a competent 
chief to take it into the field was assembled at Washington 
and its en\'irons. It was a difficult task for any one to at- 
tempt, that of imparting confidence to a body of men who, 
from recent disasters, had been completely discouraged. 
However, General Scott succeeded in overcoming all M'Clel- 
lan's objections to take the command, by promising to assist 
him with his advice ; and he finally consented to undertake 
the thankless task. 

When the official notification appeared that General 
M'Clellan, the hero of Eich Momitain, was to assume the 
command of the army of the Potomac, the intelligence was 
cordially welcomed by the troops. All were eager to serve 
imder a commander who had given evident proofs of his 
military capacity. When he arrived with his stafi" in the 
midst of the great body of troops now confided to his com- 
mand, he was welcomed by them, not as a stranger, but as an 
old comrade from the western mountains of Virginia, who 
had come to restore their lost confidence and to lead them 
once more to victory. Without being led away by the en- 
thusiasm of the soldiers, M'Clellan went quietly and steadily 



GENEKAL m'CLBLLAN. 133 

to work to restore the spirit and discipline of the men, and to 
re-establish a good understanding between them and their 
officers. He neglected nothing to make himself thoroughly 
acquainted with the smallest details connected with the army. 
Unaffected by the high rank conferred upon him by his Gov- 
ernment, and by the compliments paid him on all sides ; but, 
like a skilful physician, he probed and examined into all the 
wounds, that he might know best how to heal them. 

All the measures taken by M'Clellan proved that he was 
quite up to his work, and that he knew perfectly what an 
arduous task- he had before him. He took care to see in per- 
son the wants of the men provided for ; devoting his whole 
time to the most minute investigations ; and thus, while re- 
minding tlie men of the duties they had to perform, he was 
careful to set them a useful example himself. By such means, 
he soon gained the confidence of the whole army, was readily 
and cheerfully obeyed, and was looked- up to as a leader 
capable of surmounting any obstacle. 

By keeping his men hard at work, he strove to bring 
them into a state of good discipline, in oi'der that they might 
be efficient on the battle field, and that they might get accus- 
tomed to the voice of their officers. The latter also, sharing 
in his own confidence, assisted him to the best of their ability ; 
in a short time a complete change was discernible in the army 
of the Potomac. Fortifications, for the defence of Washing- 
ton, arose on all sides. Sham fights, practice with the bayo- 
net, cavalry manoeuvres, daily took place. In short. General 
M'Clellan completely reorganized the army by his energetic 
reforms; and when he rode through the ranks back to his 
tent, he was always loudly cheered by the troops. 

I willingly pay the tribute of my impartial admiration to 
General M'Clellan for the success of his zealous efforts in or- 
ganizing, out of the raw materials at his disposal, so efficient 
an army ; and no soldier, capable of forming an opinion on 
the subject, could refuse to join in that admiration. 



134 WAR PICTUEBS. 

The devotion of the army for their chieftain displayed it- 
self again at a later period, when he was intrusted with the 
chief command at Frederick, in Maryland, on which occasion 
he was received with a regular ovation by the troops. 



MISSOUEI. 185 



CHAPTER XVI. 



THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. 



Events in Missouri— German troops — St. Louis— Governor Jackson'joins the Con- 
federates — Troops assemble at Boonville and Lexington— Colonel Marmaduke 
—General Lyon— Cole Camp— General Price— Movement of the Federal troops 
—Hopeless condition of the Confederates— Sigel. 

Whilst these events were occurring in Virginia, the other 
border States were not idle. The State of Missouri took the 
initiative. With the jiermission of the Confederate Govern- 
ment, a body of troops had formed a camp outside St. Louis. 
The captain in command of the Federal troops stationed 
there, did not, however, allow this germ of a revolutionary 
movement to grow apace under his very eyes. Relying upon 
the German population of St. Louis, as well as upon the loy- 
alty of their feelings as citizens of the Union, he assembled 
some battalions of German troops, marched to the revolution- 
ary camp, and, after an energetic summons, made them sur- 
render. This gave great annoyance to the Confederates at St. 
Louis. The Germans were received with showers of stones 
and pistol shots, Avhich unpleasant welcome was responded to 
by the poor fellows with a volley which killed some of the 
ringleaders. The excitement increased, and St. Louis, that 
beautiful and flourishing city, was on the point of becoming 
the scene of strife between two contending factions, which it 
only escaped through the presence of mind of Captain Lyon, 



136 WAR PICTTJEES. 

of the United States army. To him it is due that St. Louis 
did not share the unhappy fate of Richmond. He placed a 
cordon of troops round the town, and handed over the ring 
leaders to the local authorities. 

A few weeks after the capitulation of Fort Suniter, Gov- 
ernor Jackson of Missouri had thrown off his sheep's clothing 
and taken the side of the Secessionists, seeking a refuge at 
Boonville, whither he transferred the seat of the provincial 
government, there to carry out his further plans. One of 
his first acts here was to appoint his friend, Sterling Price, a 
major-general ; he also appointed as brigadier-generals, Par- 
sons, Clark I., Clark II., Slack, Stein, Harris, Raines, and 
Thompson ; and he further issued a proclamation calling out 
50,000 men. Major-General Price and the other newly 
created generals were ordered . to levy tz'oops as quickly as 
possible, and to send them on to Boonville and Lexington. 

General Lyon resolved to crush the force already got to- 
gether. Toward the end of June he assembled some thousand 
German troops, and after sailing to within a few miles of 
Boonville, he effected a landing, and proceeded to disperse the 
rebels, who mustered some 1,200 strong, commanded by 
Colonel Marmaduke. Whether Colonel Marmaduke was at 
heart true to the Union Government, or whether he did not 
put much trust in the courage of his followers, he, at all 
events, declared to them that, considering the superior strength 
of his opponent, he had resolved to abandon his position and 
take one up further back. His men, however, refused to 
obey him, and declared their intention of exchanging shots 
with the enemy. Colonel Marmaduke then left the place, 
transferring the command to Colonel Brand. 

After a short, spirited engagement, in which both parties 
lost some hundred men in killed and wounded, the Secession- 
ists dispersed in great disorder. 

Generals Jackson and Price had their headquarters at 
Boonville, but as soon as they heard of the above defeat they 
embarked for Lexington. 



SURPRISE OP COLE CAMP. 13V 

The remnant of the body of men dispersed by Genera] 
Lyon withdrew westward, commanded by Generals Clark and 
Parson, and accompanied by the majority of the officials of 
the different State departments. Their object was to reach 
Cole Camp, about twenty -seven miles further on, but General 
Lyon, convinced of the cowardice of the Government, sent 
800 men to take possession of it. 

Our troops had arrived within ten miles of the place, when 
they were startled by the news that the enemy was in the 
vicinity. In their hopeless position they were informed by 
a spy that Colonel Eaines, with 700 men, was at no great 
distance, and was coming up to their support. It was then 
resolved to make a joint attack upon the troops under 
Colonel Cook. The scheme was attended with perfect suc- 
cess. The troops ordered by General Lyon to Cole Camp-— - 
a force of militia — fancied their work was done when their 
march was over ; so, after having feasted themselves, they 
formed their camp without taking any precautions. Now, as 
their orders were to cut off the enemy's advance, they could 
hardly have been ignorant of his proximity. So confident, 
however, were they in their safety, that they retired to rest 
without even placing outposts, and the whole camp went un- 
suspiciously to sleep. 

During the night our two divisions had formed a junction, 
and advanced with precipitation upon the enemy. The sen- 
tinels were cut down, and the slumbering troops aroused by 
the sound of musketry. Our men fell with a cheer upon the 
unarmed soldiers, and made short work with them. All that 
could escape did so, and amongst the first to run away, it is 
said, was Colonel Cook, to whom the whole disaster must be 
attributed. 

Of course this small affair was trumpeted forth by the 
public press as a great battle. Governor Jackson now reap- 
peared on the scene to take part, at least, in the last act. It 
was decided to attack Colonel Tatten. But Colonel Tatten 



188 WAR PICTUEES. 

having learnt the numerical superiority of our troops, fell 
back with the intention of forming a junction -with General 
Lyon. The Confederate troops, thus thwarted in their inten- 
tion, resolved to continue their march south^yard, to join our 
other forces there, which they succeeded in doing. As soon 
as a body of 4,000 men had been assembled, General Price 
took the chief command in person, and transferred his basis 
of operations to the Arkansas mountains, where Colonel 
Prince, of the Federal army, was stationed with a force of 
from 3,000 to 8,500 men, and made a show of cutting off 
General Price's retreat. General Price now resolved to make 
a retrograde movement, and, despite many obstacles, success- 
fully effected this operation ; so that on the 8d July, he was 
able to join the other troops in Cedar county. 

In Cedar county the troops were formed into regular 
brigades. Generals Clark, Parson, Slack, and Eaines were 
each appointed to a brigade of 1000 men, under the chief 
command of Governor Jackson. Before the troops had com- 
menced moving, Governor Jackson received the information 
that the Federal troops, mider General Lyon, were advancing 
on the north-eastern side, with a view to form a junction with 
Generals Lane and Sturgis, and then to foil upon his rear in 
large numbers. 

Governor Jackson, seeing the dangerous position in which 
he was placed, exerted himself to the utmost to escape from 
this manoeuvre of the enemy, which threatened him with 
destruction. He immediately set his small army in motion, 
-and performed one of those forced marches which often have 
been the means of saving a whole army. By nine o'clock 
in the evening, after encountering many obstacles, he had 
marched twenty -three English miles, and could afford to allow 
his fotigued men a few hours' repose. On the following 
morning he received the certain news that a body of men, 
3,000 strong, under General Sigel, had started for Rolla, by 
railway, and had already arrived at Carthage, a small town in 



GOVEENOE JACKSON'S DANGEE. 189 

his front, with the intention of giving him battle in a few 
hours, which, considering the fatigued state of his men, who 
were, moreover, but badly armed, was by no means a consol- 
ing piece of intelligence. Such was the predicament in which 
Major-General Jackson found himself and his Missouri army 
one fine morning : a strong body of the enemy in his rear, 
and General Sigel in front. He made up his mind, however, 
to attack Sigel, and after a forced march of sixteen miles 
came upon that general's outposts early on the morning of 
the 5th July, and found his army drawn up in order of battle 
on the slope of a hill. 



140 WAR PICTUKBS. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



BATTLE OF CARTHAGE. 



Attack of the Confederates-^Sigel falls back on the town — Ben M'CuLoch, the 
guerilla chieftain — Noble conduct of General Price. 

As soon as the Missouri army debouched upon the open 
prairie it was immediately formed into line of battle. The 
infantry, in a compact body, was under the orders of Generals 
Clark, Parson, and Slack. General Raines took command of 
the cavalry, whilst Governor Jackson acted as commander-in- 
chief. The infantry took up a position at a distance of about 
600 yards from the enemy, and the cavalry was placed on the 
right and left wings to attack the enemy's flanks, while the 
infantry was attacking him in front. 

The few old guns our troops possessed were of little or 
no service. As soon as the Confederate cavalry deployed 
right and left, General Sigel poured a volley of grape, canis- 
ter, and round shot into them from his excellent battery. 
Governor Jackson's guns replied as best they could, but with 
no- success. In default of better ammunition the guns were 
loaded with broken pieces of iron and stones. Our cavalry 
made a vain attempt to capture the enemy's battery ; but 
Sigel handled his guns so well that they were repeatedly 
repulsed with loss. This sort of amusement had lasted 
nearly two hours, when Governor Jackson, convinced that he 
could not do anything with his cavalry, resolved to storm 



BATTLE OF CAKTIIAGK. 141 

the enemy's position with his infontry, the cavalry following 
in support at a short distance. The Missouri troops advanced 
courageously to the attack. With a loud cheer they rushed 
upon the enemy, and compcllod General Sigel to yield 
ground and fall hack upon Bear Creek, a river of some depth 
and width ; after making his way across he destroyed the 
bridge, and fmding that our troops greatly outnumbered his, 
he retreated about a mile, and then he made a halt. Then 
commenced one of those rifle skirmishes which so perpetually 
occur in American wariiire. Weary at last of this sort of 
desultory fighting, which led to no great result, our troops 
cut branches of trees and made rafts, njion which they crossed 
to the otiier side ; the cavalry swimming across. General 
Sigel, who was too far away from his reserve, now resolved 
to retreat to Carthage, about eight miles distant, and per- 
formed his retreat in good order, beating back our repeated 
attacks. 

At Carthago he made a halt to rest his men. After 
several unsuccessful attacks, Governor Jackson feeling that, 
notwithstanding his numerical superiority, he could do noth- 
ing, ordered the fighting to cease, that he might attend to his 
wounded, who lay in considerable numbers along the road. 
General Sigel then continued his march toward Kolla. Gov- 
ernor Jackson had reason to be well satisfied with his success, ' 
as it caused considerable sensation amongst the inhabitants 
of the prairie, who by hundreds left their liirailies, and seized 
their rifles to join in the guerilla warfare. On the following 
day large masses of troops appeared in sight, which proved to 
be those of General Price, and the band of the famous guerilla 
chieftain, Ben M'Culloch. There were some thousands of 
thesi'. men, who, from their capability of enduring privation 
and hardship, were especially suited to this sort of a\ arfare. 

Sigel, who was also aware of the approach of these 
numerous guerilla bands, anxiously endeavored to save his 
little army. Great was the joy of the Missouri men on again 



142 WAR PICTURES. 

beholding General Price, who had just recovered from a 
serious illness, but it became unbounded when the men of 
Arkansas and the men of Missouri mingled together. It was 
an exhilarating sight to see the bold hunters of the Western 
prairies and virgin forests, men who had waged war against 
the savage Indian, the wolf, and the bear, give their rough 
greeting to the sons of the sister State, and grasp the hands 
of many whom they had supposed dead, whose scalp they 
fancied hanging possibly at some Indian's girdle as a trophy ; 
libations of whiskey and brandy, as may be guessed, were 
now freely indulged in by these swarthy warriors. 

This was the first occasion on which the famous guerilla 
chieftain, Ben M'CuUoch, made his appearance. He had been 
given the rank of a brigadier-general in the Confederate army, 
and it was extraordinary to see how the sunburnt sons of the 
plain, heedless of his rank and fine uniform, pressed around 
him, and with their brawny hands nearly crushed his in their 
friendly but eager gripe. 

The festivities ceased ; the shades of evening came on, and 
the stillness of night watched over the slumbers of the two 
armies. The sentinels alone crept about like snakes, or like 
spies on the trail of an Indian, to insure safety to their sleep- 
ing comrades. The god of dreams mildly swayed the thoughts 
of those sleeping warriors, drawing many a fanciful picture 
of future adventure. There lay those unconquered sons of 
America, their rifle by their side, calm, like children, dreaming 
some of their sweethearts far away, others of battle, or of 
booty, and they smiled as they slept. Yet many of them, 
perhaps on the morrow, would sleep the last sleep of death, 
with the long grass of the prairie for a tomb : struck by some 
hostile bullet — cut down like the ripe fruit from the tree. 

On the following morning the troops were formed into 
divisions, and the march commenced for Conwoskin prairie, 
in M'Donald county, an Indian station at no great distance, 
as it had been ascertained that the enemy's forces, under 



SPEINGFIELD. . 143 

Generals Sigel, Lyon, Sturgis, and Sweeney, were endeavor- 
ing to form a junction at Springfield. Before, therefore, un- 
dertaking anything against the amalgamated forces, a halt was 
made for a few days at Croskin prairie, to bring more order 
into, and better to divide, the troops. The reenforcements, 
which hourly dropped in, brought up the effective strength of 
our army to 12,800 men. A council of war was now held. 
M'Culloch, as brigadier-general of the Confederate army, pre- 
sided. After a somewhat lengthy debate it was resolved to 
follow the enemy to Springfield, and to give him battle. Pre- 
parations were immediately made to carry out this plan. 
General Ben M'Culloch took the command of the vanguard, 
and advanced toward Barry county, from whence the opera- 
tions against Springfield were to be undertaken in common. 

However, before the Confederate troops had reached Crane 
Creek, news was brought in that the Federal troops had aban- 
doned Springfield. The enemy's outposts were seven miles 
distant from ours. Our forces were ordered to halt, and for 
some days the fighting was confined to outpost skirmishing. 

After this mutual watching, and the inactivity evinced by 
the enemy's generals, who,probably, had delayed an attack until 
their plans were more mature and their artillery had arrived. 
General Ben M'Culloch suddenly lost confidence, and after a 
council of war it was decided to abandon our position, and to 
beat a retreat. The causes which induced Ben M'Culloch to 
take this step were the superior number of the enemy, armed 
with excellent weapons, and their greater number of guns, 
whilst his troops were badly armed, and not properly organ- 
ized. Much of this, however, was untenable. First of all, the 
Federal troops did not outnumber ours ; moreover, the enemy 
had commenced their military career at the same time that 
our men did, so that there could be no advantage in that re- 
spect ; on the contrary, if there was any, it was on our side. 
As a set-off" to the better arming of the Federal troops, it may 
be said, that they consisted chiefly of Germans who, when the 



144 "WAE PICTURES. 

war broke out, had left their peaceful homes to take up s tvord 
and rifle in order to fight for their adopted country : they had 
given up their quiet, industrial pursuits to undergo all the 
hardships of war. Whilst on the Confederate side, the ele- 
ments of which the army consisted were men inured to war- 
like doings of every description ; who had been brought up to 
the use of arms from children ; and who, under able command- 
ers, were capable of doing good service in the field. How- 
ever, Ben M'Culloch took it into his head to retreat, and he 
was obstinate enough to carry out his will. In vain did 
General Price endeavor to persuade him to alter his mind. 
He proposed an immediate advance ; pointed out the enthu- 
siasm which prevailed amongst the troops, and which ought 
to be turned to account to strike a blow against the enemy ; 
but it was like talking to the wind. As nothing could shake 
the obstinacy of M'Culloch, General Price asked him to give 
up the better arms Avhich his followers possessed, and he' 
(Price) would attack the enemy without him. But this he 
also declined, and General Price, much annoyed, left the tent. 

On that same evening, whilst all the necessary prepara- 
tions were being made to commence a retreat, an aide-de-camp 
arrived at the camp from Major-General Polk of the Confed- 
erate army, bringing the order for General M'Culloch to at- 
tack the enemy at Springfield without delay. As soon as he 
had read the despatch, he summoned all the generals together 
and communicated General Polk's order to them, declaring 
that he was ready to march at once on Springfield, provided 
he was given the chief command. 

General Price nobly replied that it was immaterial to him 
in what capacity he fought, provided that he had an oppor- 
tunity of doing service in the defence of his country, and that 
he was willing not only to give up his command, but his life 
if necessary. He then handed over the chief command to 
M'Culloch. These quiet, earnest words of General Price did 
not fail to produce a powerful eflfect upon the minds of the as- 
sembled officers. 



PATRIOTISM OF GENERAL PRICE. 145 

Even Ben M'Culloch felt ashamed when his officers re- 
proached him for his ambition. He advanced toward General 
Price, and held out his hand, but the latter drew back, and 
said, " Do your duty as the general in command, as I intend 
to do mine, and we will endeavor to forget what has passed." 

Ben M'Culloch having assumed the command, his first 
general order was that all unarmed persons should remain in 
the camp, that those who had rifles or muskets should get 
them ready, should provide themselves with fifty rounds of 
ball, and be prepared to march at midnight. 

Ben M'Culloch now divided the army into three divisions. 
The first he commanded himself, and the others he intrusted 
to Generals Pierce and Price. About midnight, the troops 
quietly left the camp, leaving the sick and wounded, baggage, 
&c., behind, and commenced their march in the direction of 
Springfield. The men were all in excellent spirits and con- 
fident of success. They expected to come upon the enemy's 
outposts at about nine miles' distance from the camp ; but 
when, after a fatiguing march, our troops reached the place 
and began to reconnoitre cautiously, they found that the 
enemy had decamped on the previous day, and were now re- 
treating. Despite the great heat, our troops immediately 
followed in the enemy's track. As they had no canteens, 
they suffered considerably from thirst, but nevertheless ad- 
vanced steadily until they reached Big Spring, about two 
miles from Wilson Creek, and about ten miles from Spring- 
field, where they encamped that evening. Our troops, who 
had left all their provisions behind them, had not tasted food 
for twenty-four hours, and in their eager craving began to eat 
the green corn with which the fields were covered. They had 
neither tents nor blankets to protect them from the night air, 
and their clothing was in bad condition ; indeed, nearly four 
fifths of the men were without shoes, yet they cheerfully per- 
formed this fatiguing march. The officers, too, were scarcely 
better ofl^, with the exception of General Ben M'Culloch, who 
7 



140 "WAR PICTUEES. 

displayed his brilliant uniform to the admiring looks of oui 
poor ragged fellows. 

The army resumed its march on the following morning to 
Wilson Creek, and there encamped ; the large fields of green 
corn they met with there supplying them with the only kind 
of food they had tasted for two days. At eight o'clock in the 
evening a general order was issued for the troops to be ready 
to march at nine against Springfield. After a council of war. 
General M'Culloch resolved to attack the enemy at daybreak, 
on four sides at once. The soldiers had already satisfied their 
hunger, prepared their ammunition, and were ready to march, 
when, owing to the heavy rain, a counter order was issued, 
postponing the attack till the following day. 



BATTLE OF OAK HILL. 14V 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE BATTLE OF OAK HILL, OR WILSON CREEK. 

The Federal troops under Generals Sigel and Lyon commence the attack — Sigel 
retreats — Lyon is obliged to give way— The Confederates are victoriouB — Death 
of General Lyon. 

Before General M'Culloch's excellent plans could be carried 
out, and our troops put in readiness to attack the Federal 
General Sigel, General Lyon had already commenced an at- 
tack upon us, and our men had just got into position, when 
General Sigel also assailed us on our right wing and in our 
rear, while the artillery on both sides opened fire. General 
M'Culloch did all that was possible to keep his men in line of 
battle .and repulse the repeated attacks of Generals Sigel and 
Lyon. The men of Missouri, under the command of their 
Brigadier-Generals Slack, Parsons, and Eaines, had taken up a 
position in front, and were ordered by General Price to ad- 
vance in all haste upon the enemy. After proceeding a few 
hundred yards, they came upon the main body of the enemy, 
under the personal command of General Lyon. Both sides 
immediately opened a brisk fusilade, the artillery being at the 
same time in full play ; a Federal battery under Captain Tat- 
ten, and a Confederate battery keeping up a regular duel. 

General Price then ordered two regiments — the Louisiana 
volunteers, and a regiment of dismounted chasseurs — to attack 
the battery in front. In a few minutes they were ready, 



148 WAR PICTUEES. 

when these wild sons of the prairie resolutely advanced with 
fixed bayonets, and attacked the enemy's left flank, posted in 
a large cornfield. Our two regiments were received with a 
terrible discharge of musketry, but persevered in their attack, 
and succeeded in repulsing the enemy, who had to fall back 
on the main body. As soon as General Lyon saw his 
troops thus retreating, he led forward in person one of the 
German regiments posted with his reserve. It was a fine sight 
to see these Germans rush on the advancing foe, and by their 
determined courage impede his further advance. Whilst the 
troops under General Price were nobly holding their ground 
in the centre. General Sigel observed that several Confeder- 
ate regiments had assembled on his left flank, and threatened 
to attack this, his weak point. One of our batteries had 
already taken up a position to. protect these troops with their 
fire, when General Sigel promptly ordered up some guns, and 
pouring a storm of grape upon the regiments who were pre- 
paring to advance to the charge, caused them serious loss. 

General M'Culloch, observing the confusion among his 
troops, caused by the enemy's fire, ordered the mounted chas- 
seur regiment xmder M'Intosh to their immediate support. 
This regiment was to the Confederate army much what the 
Old Guard was to Napoleon, and kept in reserve for any 
emergency. Such disorder had already spread among the 
Confederate forces, that it was indeed high time for the mount- 
ed Jagers to come to the rescue. ^Yithout losing precious 
moments in forming, they threw themselves headlong upon 
the battery which was causing such damage to our people, 
and in spite of a gallant defence. General Sigel was obliged to 
give way before superior numbers, and as the Texas and Mis- 
souri cavalry regiments threatened to cut off" his retreat, in 
the event of his maintaining his ground much longer, he 
abandoned his position. 

The Confederate forces having obtained these great advan- 
tages on their right wing, it becanie necessary for them to di- 
rect their attention to the enemv's centre, where the bulk of 



BATTLE OF OAK HILL. 149 

General Lyon's forces were posted. General M'Culloch, 
therefore, directed the cavalry regiments of Colonels Embry 
and Churchill to dismount, attaching them to the infantry regi- 
ment of Gratiot, and adding M'Rae's regiment as a reserve ; 
he ordered these troops to make a general attack on the front 
of the enemy's position. Our brigade was received by a tre- 
mendous fire as they advanced to the attack, protected by 
small columns at their flanks. Generals Sigel and Lyon de- 
fended their position gallantly, and in spite of the vigorous 
attack made by our troops, it was impossible to drive the 
Germans from their position. The German is a good and 
brave soldier when fighting from conviction, and for a cause 
which he loves. Quarter was neither asked for nor given, 
and the battle had already raged for several hours, without 
any particular advantage on either one side or the other. It 
was at this juncture that General M'Culloch assembled some 
regiments, and attempted to storm Captain Tatten's battery, 
which was causing such havoc among our soldiers. Our men 
attacked the enemy's battery with great courage; General 
Lyon, however, making a rapid flank movement, in his turn 
attacked our storming parties, inflicting great loss upon them 
by a well-directed fire, which mowed them down by columns. 
General M'CuUoch's men were already beginning to waver, 
when, at this critical moment, three regiments of General 
Pierce's brigade hurried to his support, and he ordered up 
Reid's battery and the Louisiana volunteers, with which addi- 
tional forces the struggle at the centre was renewed with des- 
peration. The troops under General Pierce attacked the 
enemy with such determination that they began to falter and 
gradually give way. This retrograde movement of the Fede- 
ral troops produced immense excitement among the Confede- 
rates, and the Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana forces 
threw themselves at once, with loud hurrahs, on the wavering 
line of the enemy, and drove him completely from his posi- 
tion. 

The retreat of the Germans was, however, executed with 



150 WAR PICTURES. 

praiseworthy coolness, in the face of the furious onslaught of 
the Confederates. Generals Sigel and Lyon now perceiving 
the futility of trying further to repel the attacks of an enemy 
so superior in numbers, they issued orders for the whole army 
to retreat. Owing to the losses sustained by the Confederates, 
and their exhaustion, they could not molest them in effecting 
this movement. General Lyon fell at the close of the engage- 
ment, and the command-in-chief consequently devolved upon 
General Sigel, an able officer, who succeeded in withdrawing 
the Federal forces from the scene of action in good order. 

Thus ended the battle of Oak Hill, as we named it, or 
of Wilson Creek, as named in the official report of Gene- 
ral Sigel. 

The battle lasted full seven hours, and our loss of 2,000 
killed and wounded shows the_ desperation of this fierce strug- 
gle. Our trophies consisted of merely two dismounted can- 
non and some hundred muskets. The enemy lost in General 
Lyon a brave defender of the State of Missouri, and a good 
patriot. He fell whilst encouraging his men by word and 
deed ; two bullets penetrated his heart at the same moment, 
causing immediate death. His doctor came to us after the 
battle with a flag of truce to claim his body, and General 
Price had the politeness to olTer his own carriage for its re- 
moval. The body could not, however, on account of the heat, 
be conveyed further than Springfield, and General Price or- 
dered Colonels Elgen and Mercer to provide a proper funeral, 
and a Mrs. Phelp, of that place, presented them with a coffin. 
A few days afterward the body was conveyed to his friends 
at St. Louis. 

After the battle of Oak Hill, our generals found their di- 
vision so cut up, that they were obliged to go to work vei-y 
cautiously, General Sigel being just the man to give them but 
little leisure for recovering themselves. General M'Culloch 
determined to proceed to Arkansas with his forces ; whilst 
General Price, on the other hand^ advocated a continuation of 
the cami^aign in Missouri. 



THOMAS HAJIEIS. 151 



CHAPTER XIX. 

A GENERAL WITHOUT AN ARMY. 

Tliomas Harris— His nomination as general— General Harris and General Price- 
Fort Scott— An abortive excursion to Warrensburg. 

A MAN now appeared in the north of Missouri, with every In- 
tention of making a name for himself, — no other than Thomas 
Harris, who was on his way to the rendezvous of Boonville, 
with the intention of joining the Confederate army as a pri- 
vate. At Paris (a small hamlet in the county of Monroe), 
he was recognized by one of Governor Jackson's couriers, 
who forthwith handed him his commission as brigadier-gene- 
ral of the Missouri State Guard, with orders to undertake the 
organization of the forces in the northern part of the State 
with the utmost expedition, and to assume the defence of that 
portion of the State which was north of the river Missouri. 
At the time Harris received his commission and his orders 
he had no opportunity for expressing his thanks to Governor 
Jackson, as the latter had been defeated by the enemy's 
troops, and was wandering about the Western prairies without 
roof or resting place. 

The unfortunate Harris, therefore, found himself all alone 
with his commission and the order to defend the northern line 
of the Missouri, without soldiers, without arms, without tents, 
and without money. He might have exclaimed like another 
celebrated general, " Can I make an army spring from the 
ground ? " Harris was, however, the reverse of a despondent 



362 WAE PICTUKES. 

character, and he tried his best to do honor to his exalted 
rank. He quietly pocketed his commission and his orders 
and repaired to his native county. Immediately on arriving 
there he held a grand political meeting, described the position 
of Missouri in the most ghastly colors, and in order to in- 
crease the general effect he publicly took the oath of alle- 
giance to the Confederacy ; that solemn act being administered 
by a clergyman who happened to be present. Fifty-three 
persons at this assembly immediately joined him, agreeing to 
serve under him. General Harris then gave his future army 
the permission to go to their homes, provide themselves with 
arms, and then rejoin him at his headquarters. 

The reader will perceive that this new defender of the 
country went to work with great circumspection, establishing 
his headquarters first, with the conviction that an army would 
ere long be got together. 

Before his newly raised force of fifty-three men had, how 
ever, joined him, the rumor spread that a detachment of the 
enemy was approaching. 

General Harris was not long in moving off to a more 
convenient spot, followed by his forces, then consisting of 
some staff officers and three privates, and proceeded with the 
organization of a band of guerillas. Wherever there is a 
chance of booty the crows will gather, and he managed in a 
very short time to get a body of men together, which would 
enable him to take a prominent part in the complicated events 
of the period. He soon collected 3,000 men under his or- 
ders, and it was on account of this force that General Lyon 
was at the commencement of his operations obliged to detach 
a corps to watch its movements. On General Price being re- 
lieved of his duties in the Confederate army, he advanced 
toward the river Missouri. No sooner did General Harris 
get wind of this, than he broke up his camp and marched a 
distance of sixty-eight miles in thirty hours in order to join 
him. 

General Price was not a little pleased at being joined by 



FOET SCOTT. 163 

Harris and his forces, and received them with open arms. 
The two generals immediately determined to march on Fort 
Scott. After a tedious march they came in sight of Fort 
Scott — but only to learn that Generals Lane and Tennison 
had moved further westward with their forces ; they then de- 
termined to proceed toward Lexington, as they had ascer- 
tained that some of the enemy were there encamped under 
Colonel Mulligan. Fremont had at this time been named by 
the Government at Washington to the chief command of the 
Federal army in Missouri. Fremont was the very man for 
this post. Immediately on assuming the command he issued 
a proclamation, threatening every traitor to the Washington 
Government with the confiscation of his property and the 
liberation of all his slaves. 

As was to be expected, this proclamation created an in- 
tense feeling of indignation among the Southerners, and many 
of them left the army in order to save their property, whilst 
others, whose property was already greatly involved in debt, 
abandoned it on the plea of patriotism. The Confederate 
Government hastened to indemnify these .latter by State 
bonds, and both parties became gainers by the transaction. 
The Government played a fatherly part, whilst the proprie- 
tors who were thus indemnified abused the Federal Govern- 
ment, and by extolling the Confederation, drew many persons 
to its standard. At the beginning of September, 1861, Gen- 
erals Price and Harris, who were about to encamp, received 
information from spies that a detachment of Federal troops 
was proceeding from Lexington to Warrensburg, a small 
town in the vicinity, for the purpose of bringing away the 
Government moneys there, and the cash at the bank, to de- 
posit them for safety at Lexington. This news spread like 
lightning through the camp, and in spite of the bad weather 
and the length of the march, the troops got ready with the 
utmost haste for the expedition. 

The whole brigade appeared electrified. The prospect of 



154 WAR PICTURES. 

capturing some hundred thousand dollars worked wonders m 
putting the troops on their legs, and an immediate and general 
start was made, for fear that the booty might be lost. The 
men had never been so active before; indeed, the officers, 
although mounted, could hardly keep up with the briskly 
moving mass. Money is indeed a powerful magnet. Even 
the sick seemed to have suddenly recovered, and were not to 
be prevented from hurrying on with the rest, in the hope of 
sharing the spoil. 

Although the troops had been much flitigued by the late 
marches, this was now quite imperceptible, and indeed when 
some of the officers wanted to rest they found it impracticable, 
as the men would not hear of dallying by the way. So on 
they went without stopjDing, until they reached Warrensburg. 
But here they were doomed to disappointment; the com- 
mandant of the enemy's forces *had already accomplished his 
task the previous evening, and left the place with all valuables, 
breaking down the bridges behind him. The rage of the sol- 
diers at the loss of the expected booty was indescribable, and. 
became ludicrous when they saw the caricatures which the 
German soldiers of the Federal army had sketched on the 
walls of the houses, in anticipation of the arrival of the Con- 
federates. On the bank itself there was an artistic charcoal 
drawing in crayons, representing an empty cash box, with a 
Confederate soldier peeping into it. All this caused bad 
blood among our people, and they cried for vengeance. The 
poor inhabitants had to suffijr in consequence, and everything 
eatable or drinkable that was to be found in the little town 
was laid hands on by the soldiers, who were famished after 
the exertions of their long march. The generals resolved to 
assemble all their forces at this place. After a rest of two 
days the army moved on to Lexington, as it was known that 
the money had been conveyed to that place. The march was 
consequently willingly resumed, and on the morning follow- 
ing the advanced guard came in view of the enemy's outlying 
pickets. 



BATTLE OF LEXINGTON. 155 



CHAPTER XX. 



BATTLE OF LEXINGTON. 



General Price — Attack on Lexington — Colonel Mulligan's defence— Capitulation 
—Booty — Price's retreat — Secession of tlio Btate of Missouri— Fremont re- 
called. 

At daybreak a lively outpost skirmish commenced between 
the Missouri forces and the Federal troops. After a short 
engagement, General Price, finding that the enemy was too 
strong for him, ordered his men to retire and the whole army 
to fall back. lie resolved first to await the reinforcements 
which had been promised him, and then to renew the attack. 
Like wildfire the news had spread through the country that 
General Price intended to make a small razzia to sack some 
cash, and hundreds flocked in to help him at this work. The 
numbers of the army increased hourly, and it was really 
amusing to hear the newcomers anxiously inquire if any 
booty had been made yet. On receiving a reply in the nega- 
tive, their looks would brighten : they were elated at finding 
they had arrived in such good time. In a short time, the 
army of Generals Price and Harris had been increased by 
nearly 2,000 men, and a general advance was resolved upon. 
The enemy's outposts were driven back, and the attacking 
columns approached Lexington, where the Federal troops 
were strongly intrenched in a position where they were 
secure unless attacked by very superior numbers, There 



156 WAK PICTURES. 

was one building especially, formerly a schoolhouse, which 
they had fortified with consummate skill. 

General Price ordered up two batteries, and opened a 
heavy fire upon this post, but it was so well responded to by 
the Federal troops, that in all haste he ordered his batteries 
to retire out of range of the enemy's murderous fire. Gen- 
erals Price and Harris, again losing confidence, withdrew 
their troops and retreated to Fair Ground, in the vicinity, 
there to await farther reinforcements and fresh supplies of 
ammunition. In a few days they deemed themselves strong 
enough to renew the attack upon Lexington. 

General Raines was ordered to attack the town on the 
east and northeast, whilst General Porter attacked on the 
south side, and all the guns were at the same time to open 
fire on the enemy's outworks in front. Swarms of sharp- 
shooters were sent from both divisions to annoy the enemy 
by a continuous fire, and to cut them off" from the place which 
provided them with drinking water. The riflemen did their 
work well, and in a short time took possession of the enemy's 
water station. 

Immediately on arriving before Lexington, the fourth divi- 
sion, which in the absence of General Slack was commanded 
by Colonel Rivers, had been ordered to a position west of the 
enemy's fortifications, whilst a portion of M'Bride's and Har- 
ris's brigades was stationed near, to act in support. Colonel 
Rivers speedily commenced operations, and attempted to cap- 
ture a steamer which was on the river, and to cut off" a chance 
of retreat to the enemy. The Federal troops, however, poured 
in such a volley upon him from a house which was used as a 
hospital, and which had hoisted a white flag, that he had to 
relinquish the attempt. Shortly afterward, however, a de- 
tachment of Colonel Jackson's men, after a sharp engagement, 
captured the steamer and some small craft on the river, 
freighted with clothes, provisions, and ammunition, all of 
which things our troops stood much in need of. This cap- 



BATTLE OF LEXINGTON. 157 

ture was hailed, therefore, with great joy by our men, and 
spurred on their zeal. At the same time. Generals M'Bride's 
and Harris's troops took possession of the hills lying to the 
north of the building already alluded to as serving for a hos- 
pital. As soon as Colonel Mulligan, who was in command 
of the fort, was made aware of the presence of the Confeder- 
ates, he made a sortie, with a view to drive them from the 
position they had taken. It is a pity that the colonel had not 
a larger body of men at his command, for he possessed many 
of the requisites for an able general. He was enterprising, 
and always ready to make a dash at his enemy when the lat- 
ter least expected it, and was beloved and respected by his 
soldiers. 

Fortunately for us, the advantages gained by the Federal 
troops could not be followed up for want of men, and the" 
Confederates, though driven back at first, recaptured the posi- 
tion during the day, and effected this with the very same 
troops that had been driven back by Colonel Mulligan, 

The hilly ground was now promptly placed in a good 
state of defence, so that the position was rendered strong 
enough to withstand any attack on a large scale. On the 
following day General Price erected batteries, and the serious 
preparations made by him to bombard the fort must have 
caused considerable anxiety to the garrison. Cut off from all 
help, short of provisions, opposed to a force more than three 
times its number, even the bravest might feel discouraged. 
But Colonel Mulligan met our attacks with undaunted bravery, 
and when we approached too near, he sallied forth and drove 
us back. It was only after fifty-two hours' uninterrupted 
fighting, when all its means were exhausted, that Mulligan, 
finding his small garrison worn out by exertions, and without 
a chance of relief, resolved, after holding a council of war, to 
hoist a white flag as a sign of capitulation. General Price at 
once ordered the firing to cease, and sent two of his officers to 
settle the conditions of surrender. The stipulations were soon 



158 WAR PICTUEES. 

made. The garrison, with their comraander, were to lay down 
their arms and remain prisoners of war of the Missouri troops 
commanded by Major-General Price. 

This surrender does not cast the slightest discredit on 
Colonel Mulligan, his officers and men. After having ex- 
hausted all their means against an enemy of three times their 
strength, they had no choice left but capitulation. The booty 
was considerable. In addition to arms, clothing, and ammu- 
nition, they took more than a million of dollars in hard cash. 
These dollars nearly rendered our fellows frantic, for this was 
the object which had induced the majority of them to take 
up arms against their former Government. General Price 
received Colonel Mulligan's sword, which he returned to him 
with a compliment : " I should be sorry," he said, " to see so 
brave an officer deprived of his sword." He offered to place 
Colonel Mulligan on parole, but the Colonel declined, as he 
said the Government at Washington did not acknowledge 
Missouri as a sovereign State. General Price politely placed 
his headquarters at the disposal of Colonel Mulligan and his 
wife, gave them up his carriage, and paid them every possible 
attention. It is thus that one brave man honors another, and 
by so doing honors himself 

The Confederate army had scarcely taken possession of 
Lexington, when a strong force of Federal troops showed 
themselves on the other bank, coming from St. Joseph, under 
the orders of Colonel Sturgis (of the cavalry), to support 
Colonel Mulligan. Had they come a few days sooner, a 
different result might have occurred. Colonel Sturgis, on 
hearing of the capitulation of Lexington, after the exchange 
of a few shots, returned to St. Joseph, there to form a junction 
with the army of General Lane. 

Whilst the Confederates were celebrating the capture of 
Lexington, their generals in the southwestern portion of Mis- 
souri sustained a series of defeats. Generals Pillow, Horde, 
and M'Culloch were driven out of the field. This intelligence 



price's eetbeat 159 

compelled General Price to relinquish the advantage he had 
gained, and to make a retrograde movement. Without losing 
time he commenced his retreat, and as he was badly provided 
with ammunition, he sent one of .his aide-de-camps to Arkansas 
to arrange matters so that his wants should be immediately- 
attended to, and the necessary ammunition forwarded under 
good escort. 

General M'Culloch promised to escort the transport, but 
as soon as he heard of General Price's success he ordered the 
convoy to halt, on the ground that it might be dangerous to 
forward the ammunition, as General Fremont was advancing 
in the direction of Missouri. 

Harassed on all sides, without ammunition, hated by Ben 
M'Culloch, General Price adopted the resolution of first 
reducing the extent of his army, and then of making a rapid 
retreat. His army before Lexington had swollen to 25,000 
men ; and this resolution of their honored general gave them 
great pain, and they did all they could to dissuade him from 
the step which he contemplated. General Price, after having 
designated what regiments were to accompany him, took a 
touching farewell of the remainder of his officers and men. 

He now turned all his attention to his reformed small 
division. His task was not an easy one, and required good 
generalship. He could not count upon M'Culloch. Fremont 
had assembled his forces at Georgetown, whilst Sturgis was 
advancing from the north and General Lane from the west ; 
and these three divisions were marching on Lexington to 
compel General Price to give battle. The plan was not a bad 
one ; but General Price, fully aware of the position he was in, 
endeavored to counteract the enemy's plans. He sent all his 
cavalry forward, and ordered them to make a demonstration 
on the Georgetown road, to attract General Fremont's atten- 
tion in that quarter, whilst he, with his infantry and artillery, 
would oppose Generals Sturgis and Lane. Neither of those 
generals was aware that Price's large army had been reduced. 



160 WAB PICTURES. 

and that he had now only a small portion of it under his 
command ; hence they were too cautious in their movements, 
and would not venture to undertake anything until the three 
divisions had approached closer to each other. Taking ad- 
vantage of the slowness of the enemy, General Price made a 
rapid move southward, leaving orders to his cavalry to fol- 
low him and to cover his retreat. He reached the Osage 
without any obstruction, and crossed that river in boats with 
his infantry, the cavalry swimming across. Without any 
loss, either in time or men, he reached the other bank in 
safety. In military annals, this passage of a river by 13,000 
men will figure conspicuously, as it was performed without 
pontoons or any other facilities, and, as already stated, with- 
out the loss of a man. 

General Price continued his march without delay on Ne- 
osho, where the few members o-f the State of Missouri held 
their sittings under the presidency of Governor Jackson. 
General Price was received with marked honor by his Gov- 
ernment ; and found his comrade in arms here, General 
M'Culloch, with 5,000 men. The rivals met with great cool- 
ness. General Price had good reason to be dissatisfied with 
Ben M'Culloch's conduct; whilst the latter's envy was aroused 
at Price's victorious march. The members of the Missouri 
Government here resolved to send two of their members to 
the Confederate Government at Richmond, and General Price 
had the honor to celebrate the formal secession of Missouri 
from the Union with a salvo of 1 00 guns. After this harm- 
less ceremony. General Price allowed his forces a respite to 
recover themselves from the fatigue they had undergone, and 
remained here fourteen days, when he resumed his march 
toward Pineville in Macdonald county, there to reorganize his 
men. 

Meantime Generals Sigel aiid Fremont concentrated their 
troops at Springfield, with the intention of putting an end to 
the war in Missouri. Sigel having proceeded from thence 



FREMONT EECALLED. 161 

with the advanced guard to Wilson Creek, General Price or- 
dered our troops to retire on the appearance of the enemy ; 
but whilst about to carry out this order, our rear was at- 
tacked by Fremont's body guard, under 4;he command of Ma- 
jor Zagony, formerly in the Hungarian service, doing us a good 
deal of damage, and compelling us to accelerate our retreat. 
On reaching Pineville, General Price made arrangements to 
await General Fremont's attack, and then to leave Missouri 
without once more trying the chances of a battle. He well 
knew how to inspire his men with confidence in his plans. 

And now that General Fremont had caught us, as it were, 
in a net, what saved us ? A battle ? No : the Government 
of Washington at this juncture deprived Fremont of his com- 
mand. This caused a complete change in the enemy's plans, 
and allowed our generals full scope to alter their position. 
The Federal army was now compelled to beat a retreat, aban- 
doning the rich district of Springfield to General Price. The 
latter at once took possession of it, and settled himself down 
comfortably for a time in the position abandoned by the en- 
emy. 



162 WAE PIOrUEES. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

RECRUITING AT RICHMOND. 

Stringent measures of the Government — Price of substitutes — The Nei^ '^•rleans 
Zouaves. 

After the unfortunate campaign in Western Virginia, and the 
reverses the Confederates had' met with in Louisiana, Mis- 
souri, and Tennessee, the Government of Richmond resolved 
to take the most energetic measures to redeem its losses. A 
bill was passed by the Legislature, ordering all citizens, 
whether natives or settlers, to take service. All men capable 
of bearing arms, from eighteen to forty-five years of age, 
were called out. The Government was fully bent on being 
prepared for the winter campaign. Recruiting offices were 
established at every corner. General Wise's brigade soon 
received a large increase of men ; for old Wise, despite his 
rough manners, always shared danger and hardship with his 
men, and was looked up to with respect. The system of 
paying for substitutes was now introduced, and a regular traf- 
fic in human flesh was the result ; not a sale of blacks, but of 
whites. A portion of the rich planters of the South were 
discontented with the policy of President Davis ai^d that of 
his Government, and were eager to leave a service which had 
lost all attraction for them, and the discomforts and hardships 
of which had become daily more distasteful. All such en- 
deavored to get^ofF, and the newspapers teemed with adver- 



RICHMOND, 163 

tisements for substitutes, the price rising from the modest 
sum of 10 up to as much as 3,000 dollars. Agents travelled 
all through the South buying up substitutes, whom they dis- 
posed of at a profit. Soldiers, too, were induced to desert, 
and then drafted into another regiment. I know the captain 
of a smill trading vessel, who within a fortnight disposed of 
himself twice in this way, and having pocketed some thousand 
dollars, succeeded in getting off to sea. 

The Government endeavored to put a stop to this melan- 
choly state of affairs, but it was too late, the evil had struck 
too deep a root, and could not be eradicated. However, to 
obviate it in some measure, the Secretary of War issued a 
decree, proclaiming the punishment of death as the penalty 
of those who dealt in this nefarious traffic. 

Troops of every possible description continued to arrive 
at Richmond to take part in the war in Virginia. It was a 
fine sight to see them arrive. The North Carolina troops, 
especially, attracted the attention of the citizens by their fi^ank 
and courteous bearing. It is true they did not boast of the fine 
names of their Southern brethren, such as "Tigers," "Wild- 
cats," " Alligators," &c., their regiments being simply desig- 
nated by numbers, but they were fine-looking, brave fellows. 
Then came the Zouave regiment of Colonel C , for- 
merly a noted professional gambler at New Orleans, who, 
when he found his trade spoilt, took to forming a regiment. 
With the sanction of the mayor of the city of New Orleans, 
he established recruiting booths in the different jails there. 
Each criminal was given the option to stay out the full time 

of his sentence, or join Colonel C 's body guard. 

Hundreds took advantage of the offer to escape from prison, 
and in a sjiort time the regiment was complete. The officer's 
staff consisted of noted gamblers of New Orleans, and this 
noble band started, not to fight for their country so much, 
perhaps, as in the hope of a little freebooting. In their wide 
red breeches, blue jackets, and capped with the Turkish fez. 



164 AVAR PICTURES. 

these men, bronzed by a Soutliern sun, made a warlike show, 
and excited much attention wherever they made their appear- 
ance. It was a strange, heterogeneous corps, formed of daring 
men from every country ; but wherever a Zouave had been 
seen, something or other was pretty sure to bo missed shortly 
afterward. Never, at any previous period, were so many 
robberies committed in and about Richmond, as during the 
stay of these defenders of their country. Tliey laid their 
hands upt)n everything that came within their reaeli, and were 
the dread of the farmers all round. The poultry of the peas- 
antry was carried off at night ; yet what were the poor 
Zouaves to do 1 the officers kept back their pay, so they re- 
venged themselves upon the population. It soon became 
necessary to assign them a separate encampment, as the offi- 
cers and men of the other regiments would not mix with 
them. Strife and bloodshed wer« the order of the da^ : no 
man's life was safe who showed himself within the precincts 
of their encampment. Among other c.;ises of lawlessness 
atti'ibuted to these men, I may mention that of a poor Ger- 
man gardener who lived in the vicinity, and who was com- 
pelled to abandon his house and garden, which was all he had 
to depend upon for his livelihood, owing to the ill treatment 
he received. The Government was at last under the necessity 
of ordering the Zouaves to leave Richmond, and sent them to the 
Peninsula, where they were soon dispersed, eitirer by the en- 
emy's bullets or through desertion. 



STATE OF THE HOSPITALS. 166 



CHAPTER XXII. 

HOSPITALS OF THE WOUNDED PRISONERS. 

Bad state of the hospitals— General Winder — Gross neglect of wounded prisonors 
— The want of surgeons — Humanity of Captain T . 

I TOOK a great interest in the fate of the poor wounded pris- 
oners in the hospitals at Richmond, — firstly, because, owing 
to the animosity which prevailed against the Yankees, I fan- 
cied they would not bo much cared for ; and, secondly, be- 
cause I was aware that, even with the best intentions, the 
Government could not do much for so many as 30,000 
wounded men. Richmond, at that time, had the appearance 
of a great hospital. Every public building was filled with 
the sick and wounded. Many of the patients had never been 
in action. Bad food, insufficient clothing, and want of proper 
attention had brought them into a state of disease. Two sur- 
geons to attend upon 600 patients were all I found in one hos- 
pital ; happily, among the prisonrers there were a few medical 
men, who did what they could to alleviate the suffering of 
their comrades. I shuddered at the spectacle I had to wit- 
ness ; the wounds of many had not been attended to, and 
maggots were eating into their flesh, whilst their clothing 
was stiff from clotted blood. I did what I could to improve 
their condition. I went from bed to bed, promising to exert 
all my influence in their favor, and many a poor fellow looked 
me his silent thanks. 



166 WAE PICTURES. 

I called upon General Winder to represent the case of 
these unfortunate men. Whilst every attention was paid to 
our own wounded and sick by the inhabitants, the unfortunate 
prisoners were allowed to rot and die. General Winder could 
not withstand my appeal, and promised me his assistance, I 
then appealed to the German and Irish population to come 
forward and do something for the poor prisoners, and in a few 
hours that appeal was responded to. I myself sent everything 
I could spare from my wardrobe. Many a bottle of wine 
and parcel of lint, prepared by German ladies, now found 
their way to the hospitals, and the Irish population, with their 
natural good nature, brought all the linen they could spare 
to the surgeons of the pi'isoners. When it is considered that 
the persons who did this ran the risk of being arrested by the 
secret police, the very smallest gifts rank as great sacrifices, 
for even a glance of pity at a poor sick enemy would have 
brought them under the suspicion of being traitors to their 
country. In a few days some sort of system was introduced 
into the prisoners' hospital. The sick were attended to and 
waited upon, received changes of linen, and were cheered 
with the hope of recovery. Many a tear rolled down their 
pale cheeks, and many a blessing was bestowed on me on the 
day when I took leave of them, and I left with the conviction 
that I had preserved the life of many a brave fellow. It is 
almost impossible to form an idea of the want of feeling of 
the population of the South. I will only mention one in- 
stance which subsequently came under my own observation. 

It was after the seven days' fight before Richmond, and 
hundreds of wounded, friend and foe, were brought into Rich- 
mond, where for a long time they were left exposed to a broil- 
ing sun upon the platform of the railway station. I went 

with a friend of mine. Captain T , son of an admiral in the 

Confederate fleet, to the station, to render help. Owing to the 
destruction of the Merrimac, Captain T was out of em- 
ployment, and was in plain clothes. Captain T was a 



SOUTHERN PKBJUDICE. 167 

fine-looking man, had travelled far, and was a perfect gentle- 
man. When we reached the station, the greatest confusion 
prevailed ; groups of wounded lay in all directions ; a num- 
ber of benevolent ladies, with their black servants, were dis- 
tributing tea, coffee, chocolate, and broth, to the wounded. I, 
however, soon observed that they took no notice of many of 
the sufferers. Som'e one touched my spur, and on looking 
down, I beheld one of those ghastly faces which can never be 
forgotten. It was that of a stately-looking soldier of the 
enemy, in full uniform. '* You are a German officer," he said. 
" Yes, comrade," I replied ; and his eye brightened. " Then 
I beg of you, most earnestly," he said, " to get me a cup of 

coffee." Both T^ and myself immediately went up to a 

lady who belongs to one of the best families of the South, 
and who had just passed the poor fellow by, without taking 

any notice of him. " Madame St. ," I said, " will you 

give me a cup of coffee for a wounded man ? " " Oh, cer- 
tainly," she said, and her servant handed m^e a cup. I hasten- 
ed back, but whilst I was stooping down to give it to the 
wounded man, some one pulled me by the sleeve, and to my 

astonishment, it was Mrs. St. , who, in a harsh voice, asked 

me if I was aware I was helping a miserable Yankee. " No, 
madam," I replied, " I do not know that, but I know that he 
is a brave soldier, as is proved by his wounds." At the same 
time I gave this prejudiced woman a look of scorn, which 
made her beat a hasty retreat, and I then gave the coffee to 
the wounded man. Tears ran down his furrowed, sunburnt 
cheeks, and having somewhat recovered himself, he whispered 
to me, " I am a Swiss ; I served for ten years in the Kaber- 
matter regiment at Naples, but never thought I should die in 
such a hole as this." I endeavored to console him as best I 
could. Captain T now arrived with a basket of straw- 
berries, and pressing some between his fingers, put them into 
the poor fellow's mouth. Whilst thus occupied, a man seized 
him by the arm, and said, " I arrest you." It was one of the 



168 WAR PICTUEES. 

police agents. Captain T drew himself up to his full 

height. " On what ground ? " he said. " Because you are help- 
ing the enemy," he replied, " and all the ladies here are talk- 
ing about it." " Then tell those ladies that I have been taught 
to practise humanity, and do not act by their standard, and if 
it is your intention to arrest me, you can do your vile work 
at the American Hotel, where I am staying. My name is 

Captain T ." As if he had been bitten by a snake, the 

miserable wretch started back, pleaded duty and the instiga- 
tion of the ladies as his excuse, and went away. Captain 

T looked both at him and the ladies with contempt, and 

continued his attentions to the wounded soldier. 

Should these pages ever fall into the hands of Captain 
T •, he will see how keenly his noble conduct was appre- 
ciated by the writer, and he will, I trust, excuse that writer 
for pointing ^to him as an example of the contrast which exists 
between true humanity and the heartless feelings exhibited by 
the more prejudiced citizens of the South. 



THE PRISONS AT RICHMOND. l69 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



THE PRISONS AT RICHMOND. 



HI treatment of prisoners of war — Foul state of the prisons— Colonel Corcoran— 
A contrast. 

When the first prisoners taken from the enemy arrived after 
the battle of Bethel, a certain amount of pity prevailed amongst 
the authorities, but this, small as it vs^as, Soon disappeared 
after the murderous battle of Manassas, when they were 
brought in in large numbers. The strictness with which they 
were guarded was nothing to the severity that now took 
place. The prisoners were locked up by hundreds, without 
distinction of rank — officers and men huddled together in 
buildings formerly used as tobacco warehouses and factories, 
from three to four hundred in one room. Amongst others, 
the gallant Irishman, Colonel Corcoran. The foul air of the 
building was enough to poison the men ; but the authorities 
seemed to take pleasure in exercising barbarous severity, and 
stuck to that principle. As, under a broiling sun, each of the 
buildings alluded to was the compulsory residence day and 
night of 400 men, it may easily be supposed that on entering 
it from the open air, the stench was overpowering. To get a 
breath of fresh air, the prisoners had to lean against the win- 
dows, where they were stared at and often hooted by the 
crowd below. The feeling of humanity sank daily lower at 
Richmond ; and brutality increased so much, that at last it 
8 



170 WAR PICTUKES. 

even reached the better classes. Pity vanished altogether ; 
even women, who usually are so ready to give a helping hand 
to a suffering fellow creature, without inquiring who he is, be- 
came hard hearted. Colonel Corcoran put up with this un- 
dignified treatment and the insults of the mob with the great- 
est courage. He was ultimately sent to Columbia in South 
Carolina, where at least he found human beings, and where he 
was allowed to breathe fresh air without being stared at by a 
crowd. 

How did the officers and soldiers of the United States 
treat their prisoners ? When, in February, the greater por- 
tion of Wise's legion were made prisoners on Roanoke Island, 
General Burnside and his officers treated them with respect 
and attention. The officers of the Confederate army were 
allowed to go free on parole. Both officers and men of Burn- 
side's army showed them many acts of civility, and gave them 
gold for their Confederate paper money, of little value there. 
In a few days General Burnside liberated all the prisoners on 
their giving their word of honor not to serve until an exchange 
had taken place. If either of the two Governments had a 
right to treat the prisoners as enemies, surely it was the 
United States Government, as the Southerners were the origi- 
nators of this disastrous war. We were the rebellious sons 
of a worthy mother. She was not the cause of the war ; it 
was we who had applied the torch and set fire to our once 
quiet and peaceful home. 

Our men, when taken prisoners, were usually treated, not 
like convicts, but as misguided children. But the Confederate 
Government, which had already despoiled the Union of so 
many things, now wished even to deprive its adherents of the 
ordinary rights of humanity and respect. 

It is true that many of our officers felt the injustice of the 
treatment inflicted upon the prisoners, but what could they 
do ? Orders came from headquarters, and they were bound 
to obey them, for the first duty of a soldier is obedience. 



A CHRISTMAS EVE. lYl 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

A CHRISTMAS EVE. 
Camp Ufa in -winter— Sad reflections — Petersburg— Christmas Eve — The Author. 

On the 23d Decembei', 1861, I rode back, after inspecting the 
outposts of our division, of the Confederate army. It was a 
cold, dreary day ; the snow fell in heavy flakes, so that my 
cloak soon had the appearance of ermine. Silently I rode 
along the banks of the New River, and the stillness around 
only seemed to make more audible the roar of the waters as 
they splashed over the rocks in the stream. 

No joyous shout greeted me from the camp ; none of the 
gay excitement of a soldier's life was visible. A few groups 
might be seen sitting silently and musingly round their watch 
fires, worn out and careless at what was going on or of what 
might happen next : most of the men were in their huts, and 
everything appeared cold and cheerless. Why so ? Our 
proud hopes of victory were for the moment at an end ; we 
were compelled to give way before the all-powerful enemy ; 
we were beating a retreat — and the retreat of an army, even 
if performed in the best order, has, as every soldier who has 
been at the wars well knows, something discouraging in it. 
Winter added to the dreariness. Here, in cold and snow, were 
encamped the sons of those Southern districts, where the sun 
is always bright and warm ; where the green meadows are 



172 WAR PICTURES. 

never covered with snow or ice. Some t^ast dreary looks at 
the summit of Hawk's Nest, where the once beloved, now hos- 
tile banner of the Eepublic of the United States unfolded its 
stars to the wind. Many joyful reminiscences of home and for- 
mer times were awakened in the breasts of the soldiers^n be- 
holding that flag, under whose powerful protection their own 
section of the community had also grown great and prosperous 
and they themselves had lived in comfort. Tattered and hun- 
gry lay encamped the sons of the South, here, in Western 
Virginia, deprived of their former prosperity and content, ly- 
ing on the hard ground with their rifles by their side, eager to 
aid in lowering that flag for which their forefathers had shed 
streams of blood,' perhaps to become, instead of free citizens, 
the subjects of some foreign adventurer or native despot. 

My mind also was disturbed by these sad reflections ; but 
a soldier's heart must not brood over sorrow, and I urged my 
horse to a quicker pace along the river side to rejoin my regi- 
ment. The dark night and the roaring stream were not con- 
genial to lively thoughts ; in vain did I endeavor to recall 
the happy dreams of my yoijth : they were dispelled by dark- 
er thoughts more in keeping with the shades of the night. 
How could it be otherwise ? It was now thirteen years that 
I had been away from my native home, and now, drawn into 
the whirlpool of events, I found myself, almost against my will, 
serving in the ranks of a foreign army, and fighting for a cause 
with which neither my head nor heart could thoroughly sympa- 
thize. 

Occupied with these rather depressing reflections, I reached 
my tent. I threw off" my cloak and sat down by the fire ; 
nature claimed her rights, and, -with a physical enjoyment 
which for a moment set aside mental annoyance, I warmed 
myself at the glowing embers. 

Suddenly I heard the voice of a friend calling out my 
name. It was General Henningsen, who soon joined me. 
" Here," he said, " are despatches for the Secretary of War, 



A CHRISTMAS EVE. 173 

and which must be taken by a trustworthy hand immediately 
to Eichmond. Will you take them ? " I jumped up at once, 
ordered a fresh horse to be saddled, shook the General warmly 
by the hand, and, accompanied by an orderly, set out on my 
mission. " Keep a sharp lookout," shouted Henningsen after 
me, for he knew I had resolved to take the shortest road, 
through a defile which might probably be occupied by the 
enemy. A few shots, indeed, were fired at me from the 
heights ; but, happily, owing to the darkness of the night, 
they missed their mark, and once through the pass we were 
safe. 

It was only on the evening of the following day that I 
reached the little town of Petersburg. What a contrast it 
offered to the monotonous life in camp ! Cheerful-looking 
houses, with well-lit shops, and busy people going to and fro, 
making purchases or looking in at the shop windows. Merry 
children, with their parents, buying Christmas gifts. 

My path now took me through a dark street, where I was 
suddenly brought to a standstill. It was blocked up by a de- 
tachment of soldiers. 

" What's the matter here ? " I shouted ; " why do you stop 
up the road ? " " We are waiting for a sure conveyance," 

was the reply, " to send these d- Yankees on to Salisbury, 

as they cannot march any farther." 

I hastily got off" my horse, ordered my orderly lancer to 
see the horses properly attended to, and accosted the prisoners. 
Here I found men of every nation, as is common in some 
regiments of the United States army. Germans, Poles, Hun- 
garians, Frenchmen, Italians, and Irishmen were all mixed up 
together, each, in his own tongue, trying to describe his mis- 
fortunes, and beseeching my assistance. Many of the poor 
fellows lay wounded and footsore on the ground. It made 
my heart bleed to see them. What a contrast was this scene 
of misery to the gay shops of the town ! What a Christmas 
Eve ! 



174 WAR PICTUEES. 

With a round English oath, I asked the officer in command 
of the detachment why he did not get shelter for his prisoners, 
for this one night, at least. He answered insolently, " That 
the vile dogs were not worth the trouble." 

Convinced that if I was to give a distinct order it would 
wholly fail of effect upon so coarse a nature, and that the 
brutal officer would have found a hundred pretexts not to 
provide a shelter, 1 went myself in search of one, and suc- 
ceeded in getting the large outhouses at the railway station 
arranged as best I could ; and I then ordered the lieutenant to 
follow me with his men. 

The prisoners, who numbered about 120 men, now lay 
down on benches and dry sacks, sheltered, at least, by walls, 
from the inclemency of the night. Good fires w^cre lit, and 
the railway authorities sent in food for the hungry men. I 
gave twenty-five dollars to two subalterns, and sent them into 
the town for rum, sugar, and lemons, and the courage of the 
poor fellows gradually revived as the hope of better days 
dawned within them. On my taking leave thej g&ve me a 
hearty cheer. 

I remounted my horse, and was off for Richmond. I had 
spent my Christmas Eve ! 

Here I must be allowed to anticipate events, by introducing 
an incident that some time after pleasantly recalled this 
Christmas Eve to my mind. 

Months had passed. Heaven had protected me. I had 
escaped without hai-m from the many sanguinary engagements 
which, as we shall see by and by, took place in the first half 
of 1862, when I was suddenly attacked by the yellow fever 
in the swampy ricefields of Savannah. With death in my 
heart, I had myself conveyed to Richmond for medical advice. 
The doctors were not wanting in good counsel ; but the 
apothecaries' stores were exhausted. By the advice of my 
physician, I asked for leave and a free pass to the North, 
where the change of climate misht restore me to health. 



CHRISTMAS EVE. 1V5 

This being granted, I reached the outposts of the Union with- 
out difficulty, and received a hearty welcome from tho gene- 
ral in command, who allowed mo to continue my journey to 
New York unmolested. In fact, what was there to fear from 
a man who was more dead than alive ? 

I regained my health, nevertheless, in a wonderfully short 
time ; and going down the railway one 'day, in Gth Avenue, 
New York, with a friend, I was suddenly addressed by a sol- 
dier with only one arm, with the question : " Are you not a 
colonel in the Confederate army 1 " " Yes, y^s," I replied, 
hastily, fancying ho wished to pick a quarrel with me, and 
seek revenge for his lost limb. " Well, then, Colonel," he 
said, " I am happy that I still have one hand left thankfully 
to shake yours, for I am one of the prisoners for whom 
you provided a nevcr-to-be-forgottcn Christmas Eve at 
Petersbui'g." 

Much moved, I shook the brave man's loft hand, and quickly 
left the carriage, around which a crowd had assembled. 



176 WAR PICTUKES. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

BATTLE OF BELMONT. 

Kentucky remains neutral — Exertions of the Federals and of the Confederates — 
Violation of the neutrality hy the Confederates— General Polk occupies Colura- 
hus— Appeal of Governor Magoflan— The Federal troops enter Kentucky- 
Colonel Tappon — General Grant commences hostilities—Pillow's division- 
Defeat of General Cheatham — The Confederates victorious. 

]\Ib«h to the vexation of the Southerners, who had always 
regarded Kentucky as one of their stanchest adherents, this 
latter State still continued attached to the Union. All the 
endeavors of the South to persuade Kentucky that its interests 
as a Slave State rendered it imperatively necessary for it to 
join those States which had already seceded from the Union, 
proved of no avail ; the majority of the citizens of Kentucky 
declined to listen to any such overtures. After the election 
of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency of the United States, 
the Kentucky Legislature resolved, by a large majority, not 
to secede from the Union, but to exert all its influence to re- 
store the broken pact between the old Government and the 
States actually in rebellion. Should it not succeed in achiev- 
ing this object, it was proposed that Kentucky should main- 
tain a strict armed neutrality. 

In reply, however, to the demand of the Washington Govern- 
ment for Kentucky to send its contingent to the army of the 
Union, the Governor of that State, Magoffin, declined to do so, 
and the Southern States exulted at this, as they fancied that this 



VIOLATION OF NEUTEALITT. IV 7 

refusal was to be regarded as the expression of the sentiments 
of the people of that State. Subsequent events, however, 
soon showed that there was no foundation for their hopes. 
President Lincoln requested that a special Commission of the 
State should proceed to Washington, there to consider the 
measures the United States Government might think fit to 
propose, in consequence of the attitude Kentucky had assum- 
ed. In compliance with this request, the various districts of 
that State selected for commissioners men whom they knew 
to be averse to a separation from the Union. The result of 
the elections for the Legislature of the State were also in fa- 
vor of citizens who were known to be loyal supporters of the 
Union. 

The neutrality of Kentucky was first violated by the Con- 
federate Government, which ordered a division of troops to 
occupy Columbus. General Polk, it is true, who commanded 
these troops, declared, in a proclamation which he issued to 
the citizens of the State of Kentucky, that the Confederate 
Government had been driven to this step because the United 
States Government had first violated the neutrality, by organ- 
izing a military force upon that neutral ground. It stated, 
moreover, that fortifications had been erected on the Missis- 
sippi, opposite Columbus, with the object of serving as a 
point cfappui for the United States troops which the Cabinet 
of Washington intended to despatch for the purpose of occu- 
pying Columbus. The object of the Confederate Government 
was forcibly to prevent the State of Kentucky from forming 
an alliance with the Union, which might have been fatal to 
the interests of the South, but all these manoeuvres failed. 
The United States Government had ordered General Rous- 
seau to organize a brigade in Kentucky, and to establish his 
headquarters at Louisville, which order he executed so well 
that in a short time he had collected together 10,000 men. 
Thus, after General Polk had occupied Columbus for a short 
time with his division, he found one day, to his alarm, the 
8* 



178 WAE PICTUKES. 

opposite bank of the river occupied by Federal troops, who, 
on his making his appearance, took up a threatening attitude, 
pointing their batteries toward Columbus, The citizens of 
Kentucky now sent delegates to Governor Magoffin, with an 
urgent appeal that he should order General Polk to evacuate 
the territory of the State immediately, which request the 
latter reluctantly complied with. Polk, indeed, at first signi- 
fied his intention of only obeying the injunction on the con- 
dition that the Federal troops should abandon the opposite 
.bank at the same time, and that the State of Kentucky should 
give a guarantee to his Government that it would refuse per- 
mission to any troops of the United States to enter its terri- 
tory or occupy any portion of the same ; but, as might have 
been expected, this attempt at interference with the rights of 
the State was indignantly rejected. 

As soon as the Government at Washington was informed 
of this violation of the territory of a neutral State, it ordered 
the occupation of Paducah at the mouth of the Tennessee 
river. Convinced that the Confederate Government was ex- 
erting every means at its disposal to induce the State of Ken- 
tucky to join the revolutionary movement, it ordered large 
bodies of troops to be concentrated on the Ohio, so as not to 
abandon without a struggle this rich State to the Confed- 
erates. Preparations on a large scale were made to convince 
the enemy of the firm will and intention of the United States 
Government. 

Meantime, General Polk had sent for General Pillow's 
division, in order that he might be enabled to olfer battle to 
the enemy if necessary ; and Albert Sidney Johnston, Com- 
mander-in-Chief of all the Confederate forces, so planned his 
movements, that he could operate in concert with General 
Polk. The hostile armies now took up positions on the Mis- 
sissippi, on the banks of which river they resolved to uphold 
the flags of their respective Governments by force of arms. 

Before daybreak on the 7th November, General Polk 



BATTLE OP BELMONT. 1^9 

received the information that a body of the enemy's troops 
under Major-General Grant was advancing in the direction of 
the village of Belmont, apparently with a view to give battle 
to the Confederates. On the other side of the Mississippi we 
had no other force than a single regiment mider Colonel 
Tappon, acting as a corps of observation, and General Polk 
had not previously the slightest suspicion that it was the 
enemy's intention to attack that regiment before we could 
send reinforcements to its support. But now awakened to 
the importance of the position, he ordered Pillow, whose 
division was the nearest to Colonel Tappon's corps, not to 
lose a moment's time in pushing his troops across the river 
to the other bank. After personally superintending the 
crossing of his men, General Pillow with his whole statf 
passed over to assume the immediate command. The enemy 
lost no time in commencing the attack upon Colonel Tappon's 
regiment. The outposts and sentries were driven back upon 
the main body of the regiment, and Colonel Tappon found 
himself in a critical position, when Pillow's troops came up 
to his support. The attack of the enemy was repulsed, and 
the batteries opened a heavy fire, which must have convinced 
General Grant that General Polk was determined to maintain 
his position. The former, instead of needlessly exhausting 
his men by skirmishing, should, with his knowledge of the 
locality, have at once fallen upon us with all his disposable 
forces, and driven us Confederates back to the banks of the 
river. But as we have already said, instead of doing this, he 
contented himself with desultory outpost skirmishing, which 
gave General Pillow time to inform General Polk how 
matters stood. 

The Federal gunboats having meantime taken up a posi- 
tion, they opened fire upon us, and a daring attack was then 
made upon our centre, after an attempt to outflank our right 
wing had been defeated by Colonel Betzhoven's battei-y. 
This officer handled his guns in such admirable style that the 



180 WAK PICTUKBS. 

enemy's columns were compelled to foil back upon their 
centre. The attack upon our front was then carried on with 
such vigor and etlect on the part of the enemy that they suc- 
ceeded in breaking our line, and our men were for a moment 
tlirown into some confusion. The troops then reformed in 
squares, as best they could, to resist an attack of cavalry. 
General Pillow now bringing up his reserve, consisting of 
two batteries and the half of another, was enabled to keep the 
advancing enemy in check and to restore the communication 
between his two Avings; he then also ordered up Lindsay's 
battery, and placed it in a favorable position for raking the 
enemy's columns. All noAV went on well enough on our side, 
when word was brought that the regiments of Bell, Wright, 
and Eussell had no ammunition left. This piece of bad news 
had scarcely reached us, when a message was received Irom 
Colonel Betzhoven that he too was out of ammunition, and 
must needs withdraw his battery. This was enough to dis- 
hearten most men, but General Pillow, fully aware of the 
critical state of the battle, displayed undaunted resolution on 
this emergency. After ordering Betzhoven to keep his' bat- 
tery in position, he formed the three regiments that had ex- 
hausted their ammunition into a compact mass, and boldly 
led them against the enemy with fixed bayonets. The Fed- 
erals were now driven back to the edge of a wood, from 
the cover of which they opened a smart fire upon us to which 
we could not respond. Pillow then sent his aide do-camp. 
Captain Anderson, to CTcneral Polk to inform him of the pre- 
dicament he was in, but the latter, uneasy for his own safety, 
hesitated to send reinforcements. To understand this, it must 
be stated that . Polk had become fully persuaded it was the 
enemy's intention to attack Columbus this same day, al- 
though all our cavalry pickets sent in word that there was 
nothing to indicate any such intention on the part of the 
enemy, they having made no preparations for an attack. But 
Polk thought differently and was not to be undeceived, and 



BATTLE OF BELMONT. 181 

consequently adhered to his own view of the matter, in order 
to show his Government that he was as good a general as ho 
had been a priest* So he allowed Pillow's troops on the 
other bank to be shot down, without taking any steps to re- 
lieve them from a position which was becoming every mo- 
ment more critical. It was only after reiterated messages 
from General Pillow, and when our men had almost fired 
their last cartridge, that Genei-al Polk gave the order for a 
portion of his division to cross the river. 

All this time Pillow had to withstand the incessant and 
determined attacks of the enemy. In vain did he display the 
most chivalrous bravery, and make the most strenuous efforts 
to maintain his ground ; it was impossible for him to hold 
out much longer. General Grant, aware of the advantage he 
had already gained, vigorously renewed his attacks whenever 
he saw the Confederates endeavoring to rally. It was a sad 
spectacle to contemplate : the Confederates were gradually 
forced from all their positions by the fire of the enemy's bat- 
teries, and had no other resource left than to rely on the 
bayonet as a means of resistance; and in this plight were 
compelled, moreover, to abandon many of their wounded to 
the enemy. General Grant now got his most effective men 
together, and with these making another desperate onset, 
effectually broke our ranks, and drove us pellmell down the 
banks of the river. Pillow's whole division was disorganized 
and sadly cut up — not one company remained intact — and 
the men were huddled together in the greatest confusion. 
Although the Confederates were just then protected in some 
measure by a hill, numbers were picked off by the enemy's 
bullets, and there now appeared but two alternatives left to 
choose between : either to capitulate, or to fight to the last 
man. At this critical juncture, a Tennessee regiment came 
up to our support. In their eagerness to help their comrades, 

♦ Ho was formerly a Bishop at New Orleans. 



182 WAB PICTUEES. 

many of the soldiers jumped from the boats and swam ashore, 
and the moment they got across rushed forward to fall with 
fiiry upon the enemy. No quarter was asked or given, no 
orders obeyed; it seemed as if all the worst elements of 
human nature had been let loose, to indulge in a fiendish 
gratification. Additional troops from Texas and Louisiana 
successively arrived on the field of battle, which ere long at- 
tained its full development. The tide turned, and it was now 
General Grant's lot to be on the losing side. Attacked in 
front, flank, and rear, he exerted all his energies in vain to 
maintain the fortunes of the day. He found that he had a 
fierce and determined foe to cope with, and his men, discon- 
certed by the furious charges made upon them, began to 
waver ; General Grant was unable to rally them ; they were 
di'iven back from one position to another, until they fell back 
discomfited upon their reserve. 

General Grant here halted to collect his men, and rein- 
forced by some regiments, from his reserve, he ordered up 
fresh artillery from the same source and recommenced the 
contest. Observing that the Confederate General Cheatham 
was advancing in very careless order, he threw himself head- 
long upon him, and completely routed his force, capturing 
300 prisoners and 2 guns ; after which he made so dashing an 
attack upon our centre that he not only checked the advance 
of our troops, but compelled them even to weaver. General 
Pillow now galloped along the line, bravely encouraging his 
men. Though nearly all his staff were by this time shot at 
his side, and his own clothes were riddled by bullets, the old 
general jniraculously remained unhurt. The Federal troops 
continued their advance, steadily driving back our forces ; and 
their general then, pushing forward his batteries closer to the 
river, opened a murderous fire upon our flank as well as upon 
the steamers which were bringing fresh troops to our assist- 
ance. General Polk now ordered Captain Smith to run up 
his twelve-pounder rifled battery to the bank opposite the 



BATTLE OP BELMONT. 188 

battle field. Smith performed this duty in the most masterly 
mamier, and in a short time the destructive missiles from his 
battery, flying across the broad stream of the Mississippi, 
were seen to plough through the enemy's ranks. General 
Grant on this immediately ordered up a battery of the same 
strength, and a very spirited cannon duel forthwith com- 
menced. It was interesting to watch the precision and cool- 
ness with which the guns were handled : it almost seemed as 
if the batteries were simply engaged at target practice, and 
every shot told. A great deal of damage to the steamers 
now ensued, splinters of wood flying about in all directions, 
killing and wounding many men. Meanwhile fresh reinforce- 
ments continued to reach the Confederates, which enabled 
the exhausted men to take breath and recover their failing 
strength. 

As soon as General Polk felt convinced that we were 
gaining the upper hand, he crossed to the other bank to 
assume the command at the conclusion of the battle, so that 
he might be enabled to despatch a victorious bulletin in his 
own name. 

General Grant, finding that he could not hold his ground 
against the superior numbers now opposed to him, made his 
dispositions for a retreat : his troops had now been engaged 
for full seven hours, and he feared they could not withstand 
another attack. A previously planned movement, by which 
the Federal troops were to make a demonstration against 
Columbus, had not been carried out, and he was consequently 
exposed to a conflict with all General Polk's forces as they 
were successively brought up to the field of battle. His ma- 
noeuvres at the close of the action betrayed his intention of 
reaching his flotilla, as he commenced his retreat in that 
direction. This was a sure proof to our men that the victory 
was ours; and according]}'- with a cheer they threw them- 
selves upon the enemy's retreating columns ; but General 
Grant, who had already given so many proofs during this 



184 WAR PICTURES. 

battle of his prudence and energy, successfully repelled the 
attack. We at last succeeded in taking possession of all his 
positions, and the depot where he had kept his stores and 
ammunition. Little remained there, however, for the victors 
to capture — only a few cooking utensils and a number of our 
wounded enemies. The surgeons of the Federal forces on 
this occasion evinced a commendable spirit of zeal and devo- 
tion to their professional duties by remaining behind to at- 
tend to the wounded. I grieve to say, that these worthy men 
were, in the blind fury of the final onset, attacked by our sol- 
diers with sword and bayonet, and it was not until General 
Pillow came up that order could be restored. 

General Grant had meantime succeeded in reaching his 
boats, and set about conveying his troops across; which 
operation had no sooner commenced than our men kept up a 
brisk fire on them, and this became hotter when the enemy's 
boats fairly got under way. Nevertheless, great order was 
maintained on board, although the vessels were exposed to 
our fire for at least a mile. 

Our return of casualties after the battle showed a list of 
680 killed, and 1,370 wounded — many of the latter severel}''. 
The battle of Belmont was won by the daring, personal 
bravery of General Pillow. General Grant lost it through 
the misconduct of the Federal general in command at Paducah, 
who, as we have already said, ought, in pursuance of a pre- 
concerted plan, to have manoeuvred so as to threaten Colum- 
bus, and hold Polk in check, whilst General Grant should 
make himself master of the river bank. Whatever was the 
reason that obstructed the execution of this plan on the part 
of the general at Paducah, it has not been ascertained. At 
all events. General Polk, as we have seen, was enabled to 
cross to the other side of the river with all his forces. Grant 
was, consequently, not enabled to offer further opposition to 
the superior numbers of the Confederates, and had no other 



BATTLE OF BELMONT. 185 

alternative than to retreat. This operation he performed in 
a manner highly creditable to his talents as a commander. 

It will be a long time before the battle of Belmont is for- 
gotten by the soldiers of either of the opposing armies ; it was 
so well contested as to make them practically acquainted with 
each other's bravery. 



186 WAE PICTUBES. 



CHAPTER XXVL 



BATTLE IN EAST TENNESSEE. 



G-eneral Zollicoffer— Rising of the Unionists— General Crittenden attqcks the 
enemy — Midnight march — The fight — Death of Zollicofl'er. 

The consequences of the defeat at Belmont were most detri- 
mental to the cause of the Union. Kentucky was placed by 
it in an embarrassing position, and the Southern newspapers 
took care to trumpet forth the victory as a decisive one. 

Early in the summer, the Confederate Government sent 
Brigadier-General Zollicoffer with a force of several thousand 
men to East Tennessee, by way of Knoxville, as it was re- 
ported that Federal troops were advancing in that direction, 
through Cumberland Gap. Zollicoffer, acting upon the in- 
structions of his Government, sent a telegraphic message to 
Governor Magoffin to the effect, that in order to protect Ten- 
nessee he had occupied the mountain passes of Cumberland, 
and the three long mountain ridges of Kentucky ; that the 
Confederate Government had always maintained the greatest 
respect for the neutrality of Kentucky, and that if the Federal 
troops would give up their menacing position at Hoskins 
Cross Roads, he would immediately withdraw the troops under 
his orders. 

A few days afterward, a detachment of General Zolli- 
coffer's force proceeded to Barboursville, in the State of Ken- 
tucky, where, after a short engagement, it dispersed a small 



UNIONIST EISING. 187 

body of Federal troops. Encouraged by this success, ZoUi- 
coffer advanced on Somerset, where he hoped to meet with 
the same success. The Government at Washington, fearing 
lest General Zollicoffer should stir up a hostile feeling against 
them in Kentucky, issued orders for the concentration of a 
large force from the Western States of Ohio and Indiana, 
and gave the command of it to an ex-Hungarian officer, named 
A. Schoepf, with the rank of brigadier-general. The Govern- 
ment could not have made a better selection, as this officer 
possessed all the necessary qualifications of a general. As 
soon as Schoepf had collected his forces, and made the neces- 
sary preparations for so arduous a march, he lost no time in 
commencing operations. His plan was, first, to endeavor to 
defeat Genei-al Zollicoffer ; next, to drive him back into Ten- 
nessee ; and then to make himself master of Cumberland Gap, 
from which point he could always exercise a certain pressure 
upon Tennessee. He was advancing with quick strides to- 
ward ZoUicoffer's position, hoping to be soon able to give 
him battle, when the news of the rapid advance of the Con- 
federate General Hardee induced him to halt. 

The advance of General Schoepf 's corps had revived the 
hopes of the Unionists, who numbered largely in this quarter, 
and their leaders, Andrew Johnson, William G. Brownlow, 
and R. Nelson, confidently looked forward to the success of 
their party. These men had, despite all the dangers and ob- 
stacles they had to contend against, formed a conspiracy on a 
large scale, which extended its ramifications over the whole 
of the western portion of Tennessee, and into North Carolina, 
and were only waiting for a favorable opportunity to put their 
schemes into execution. Their chief plan, it should be added, 
was to destroy all the railway bridges in Tennessee, Virginia, 
and Georgia. 

Scarcely had Brigadier-General Schoepf advanced through 
Kentucky, when the Unionist party took up arms, and pro- 
ceeded to carry out their plan of burning or blowing up all 



188 WAR PICniEES. 

the railway bridges, many of which had to be first captured ; 
for instance, the bridge at Strawburg plain, where the officer 
in command made a stout resistance. This rising of the 
Unionist party, however, which threatened to be most serious 
for the cause of the Confederates, failed in effecting its object, 
in consequence of General Schoepf retiring, and the Govern- 
ment forthwith sent troops to arrest the ringleaders. General 
Schoepf having soon after formed a junction with General 
Thomas, they agreed to offer battle to General Zollicoffer, and 
commenced operations accordingly. 

General Zollicoffer had, meantime, taken advantage of his 
opportunity, and had marched through Kentucky, where num- 
bers flocked to join his standard from the towns and villages 
along the line of his march, which he continued as far as Cum- 
berland river. Here he halted, resolving to take up a strong 
position on its banks. 

He accordingly set actively and promptly to work to in- 
trench his camp, in order there to await the course of events 
in Kentucky. As soon as his works were completed, he 
crossed the river, and commenced throwing up defensive 
works on the other side. He had scarcely finished this opera- 
tion, and got his army into quarters, when Major-General 
Crittenden arrived to take the chief command. 

When the war broke oiit between the Union and the 
Southern States, Crittenden was a captain in the United States 
army, and President Jefferson Davis rewarded him for join- 
ing the Confederates by conferring a high military rank upon 
him. The intrenchments of the camp, and the works on the 
opposite bank, were all that could be desired : great skill 
having been employed in their construction. The troops 
were tolerably well armed and efficiently organized, and were 
amply supplied with provisions ; but their firearms were 
somewhat defective. Both officers and men were elated at 
the successful march they had just performed, and looked for- 
ward with confidence to victory. Thus, General Crittenden, 



MIDNIGHT MARCH. 189 

on his arrival, found an excellent army, ready to fight zealously 
for the Confederate cause ; the bad weather and the state of 
the roads being the chief drawbacks. 

Generals Crittenden and Zollicoffer, having satisfied them- 
selves of the efficient state of their troops, were prepared for 
the enemy's attack. Ere long the news reached them that the 
Federal Generals Schoepf and Thomas, despite the execrable 
state of the roads, were advancing from Columbus, and from 
their movements it was pretty evident that they were bent on 
attacking the Confederate forces on Cumberland river. Gen- 
eral Crittenden accordingly hastened his preparations to meet 
the attack. The cavalry was sent out to forage, troops and 
batteries were held in readiness to march at a moment's notice ; 
in short, everything indicated that General Crittenden was re. 
solved to march against the approaching enemy, to anticipate 
his attack, and to fall vigorously on his two columns separate- 
ly, before they could form a junction or receive reinforcements. 
Crittenden, convinced of the success of this plan, then com- 
menced his march, contrary to the advice of General Zollicoffer. 
Aftei* one day's march, so much discontent manifested itself 
amongst his men, owing to the hardships they had to encoun- 
ter, that it needed all the strictness of the officers to maintain 
order amongst them. The poor fellows, who were badly pro- 
vided with shoes, could scarcely get along the execrable roads ; 
whilst snow and rain continued to fall incessantly, turning the 
roads into a swamp. Crittenden was, from this cause obliged 
to abandon a portion of his baggage in the mud. Our troops 
put great faith in the artillery, and, according to the number 
of guns they had with them, so did their courage rise or sink. 
Therefore, whenever a gun stuck in the mud and the horses 
could not get it along, there were a hundred ready hands to 
perform the work. After a council of war, held during a 
halt, it was resolved to start again at midnight, so as to fall 
upon the enemy early in the morning, and surprise them by 
a sudden and unexpected attack. The plan was an excellent 



190 WAR PICTURES. 

one, if well-disciplined European troops had been ordered to ex- 
ecute it, but was rather hazardous for recruits like ours. The 
resolution was, however, unanimously adopted, and a little af- 
ter midnight the troops were called under arms. The men 
were literally soaked through by the rain ; many amongst them, 
indeed, were already laid up by illness, and measures had to 
be taken to provide for their wants. 

ZollicofFer's brigade being the first ready, commenced its 
midnight march ; the other troops followed in silence ; and 
the cavalry formed the van and the rear guard. The march 
was a most fatiguing one ; the ground being so saturated and 
softened by snow and rain that it was difficult to get along, 
especially as we had to carry arms and provisions with us. 
Added to this, the night was so dark that we could scarcely 
see a hand's length before us ; and the men were therefore 
obliged to follow close upon each" other. Morning was begin- 
ning to dawn, the rain still continued to fall in torrents, and 
yet it seemed as if the weary march would never come to an 
end. 

Suddenly the solemn sound of bells was faintly audible in 
the distance ; some church or chapel was evidently not far 
off, and its bells were inviting the pious to prayer; it was 
Sunday morning. The effect produced upon our men was pe- 
culiar and striking. In the distance peaceful chimes betokened 
piety and prayer ; while on the spot hostile columns were ad- 
vancing in the dark, bent upon destruction ; proceeding not to 
pray, like good Christians, but to slay and maim their fellow 
men. 

Suddenly a shot was fired — then a second. A general 
halt was now made, and orderlies galloped about like gaunt 
shadows in the midst. In a few minutes a heavy roll of mus- 
ketry followed. Like wildfire the news spread that the enemy 
had discovered the approach of our advance guard, and had 
fired upon them. The heavy sound of cannon soon added its 
deep base to the musketry. " Chapman's battery, forward ! " 



BATTLE IN TENNESSEE. 191 

shouted the comnianding officer, and our men pressed up close 
to the roadside to allow the battery and ammunition cars to 
pass ; the lighted matches of the gunners looking like so many 
fireflies in the misty gloom of the atmosphere. 

As soon as the battery had passed, the spirits of our men 
revived. Orders were issued with decision, and were prompt- 
ly obeyed. General ZollicofFer alone seemed not to share in 
the general confidence displayed by the troops. Silent and 
sad, he sat on his horse at the mouth of the pass, casting an 
anxious loolc on the animated troops as they marched forward. 
Nothing seemed capable of rousing him. Like a statue he re>- 
mained on one spot ; indeed, had it not been that his black 
charger sent forth incessant volumes of steaming breath from 
his nostrils, both the rider and his steed might have been sup- 
posed to be cast in iron. Usually so cheerful, why was the 
brave general now so melancholy and sad ? Suddenly he put 
spurs to his horse, and in a few minutes man and horse were 
out of sight. 

In a very short time the Confederate troops were hotly 
engaged. The intention of their leaders had been, as we have 
seen, to make an unexpected attack upon the enemy, and the 
very reverse had happened ; they had been anticipated. The 
whole air now resounded with the roar of cannon, the roll of 
musketry, and the cheers of the contending combatants. Zol- 
licoffer, as was always his custom, headed the first attacking 
columns in person. Despite the snow, the rain, and the fog, 
which spread like a pall over the surrounding country, the 
spirits of our men were excellent. The different columns ad- 
vanced cheerily to the respective positions allotted to them. As 
soon as it was sufficiently light to allow friend and foe to be 
distinguishable, General Zollicofter, placing himself at the head 
of the 15th and 17th Mississippi regiments, addressed them in 
a few appropriate words and led them against the enemy. 
The first man to fall was the standard bearer, who, grasping 
his flag, sank mortally wounded. Tliis somewhat disconcerted 



192 WAE PICTURES. 

our advancing columns. Two oi- three men rushed forward 
to seize the flag, which was again raised on high. Our troops 
now boldly advanced against the enemy's well-protected posi- 
tion ; they were received by a murderous fire which spread 
death and devastation in their ranks. The officers showed 
the most determined bravery, leading on their men with sword 
in hand. General Zollicofier was aware that he must perse- 
vere in this attack without flinching, so as to allow the other 
troops sufficient time to take up their positions. The two 
Mississippi regiments fought with a courage which excited uni- 
versal admiration, although their loss was most severe : more 
than half their number fell dead or wounded on the ground, 
but it was impossible to remove the latter in the heat of 
the fight. The enemy were well aware that, if once driven 
out of their strong position, there was but little chance left 
for them, as, owing to the state of the ground, it would have 
been impossible for them to manoeuvre with any chance of 
success. 

General Crittenden now ordered up Carroll's brigade to 
support Zollicoffer. These sunburnt sons of the West rushed 
furiously upon the enemy, Zollicoffer in person leading them 
on. His black charger was seen suddenly to leap a barrier, 
and at the same moment the general fell backward, horse 
and man rolling over together, both of them struck dead. 

A cry of anguish and even fury ran along the ranks. 
" Zollicoffer is shot ! Zollicoffer is killed ! " Then using the 
but ends of their muskets, which were of little use as fire- 
arms owing to the wet, the infuriated soldiery rushed upon 
the foe, felling them to the ground right and left. The battle 
now became a regular melee ; the Federals, overcome by the 
furious onslaught of the Confederates, gave way ; their bat- 
teries were left unprotected, and as the artillerymen did not 
flinch, they were bayoneted at their guns. The attack and 
the defence were most obstinate, and the fierceness of the 
struggle showed that kindred blood ran in the veins of the 
contending foes. 



DEATH OF ZOLLICOFFER. 193 

The officer in command of the Federal batteries was cut 
down hi front of one of his own guns, and a regular massaci'e 
ensued, which was only put a stop to by the arrival of the 
Confederate Colonel Morgan. The Federals made a hasty 
retreat toward the wood, but our men were too much fatigued 
to pursue them. General Schoepf got his troops together 
again, and having received reinforcements, attempted to re- 
cover the position which he had lost. A desperate struggle 
ensued, and our troops, despite all their efforts, were driven 
back over the hill, and lost the batteries they had captured at 
so heavy a sacrifice ; the Federals poured an incessant shower 
of bullets into our ranks, and although General Crittenden 
did everything he could to rally his men, it was a useless 
effoi't. He ordered his cavalry to charge the enemy's infan- 
try,- but that, too, was unavailing. The death of ZollicofFer 
had caused a panic; the flight became general. To add to 
the day's disaster, the bridge over Big Creek broke down, 
and men and horses were precipitated into the stream. Gen- 
eral Crittenden fell back upon his intrenched camp, pursued 
by the enemy. This, too, he was compelled -to abandon, with 
the loss of his guns and baggage, and j-etreated hastily toward 
Monticello, where he hoped to find food and shelter for his 
troops. The poor inhabitants had nothing to offer, and the 
men had to satisfy the cravings of hunger with the standing 
produce of the fields. 

The death of General Zollicoffer caused a painful sensation 
throughout the whole State. The remnant of his army 
reached Nashville in safety. 

The corpse of General Zollicoffer fell into the hands of the 
enemy, who did not refuse a tribute of respect to the remains 
of the brave soldier. The Federal general in command had 
the body carefully washed and embalmed. The face of the 
dead soldier bore an expression of calmness and melancholy, 
and exhibited no traces of that animosity which commonly 
disfigures the features of those killed in battle — he seemed al- 
9 



194 WAK PICTURES. 

most as if he slept. Who knows whether he was not happy 
at having thus met his end ? A rifle ball had penetrated his 
heart, and his death must have been instantaneous. General 
Zollicoffer was one of those men whose bearing and manners 
make an impression not easily to be forgotten by those who 
have once seen him. He was adored by his men, and his 
State honored and esteemed him as one of her worthiest sons. 
As long as he was there to lead them, his troops would never 
have experienced any great defeat ; but when they saw him 
fall they lost all hope of a successful tei'mination of the battle, 
and their courage forsook them. His death was a heavy and 
irreparable blow to the whole army of East Tennessee. 



m'clellan's plans. 196 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

FORT HENRY AND FORT DONELSON. 

Ketreat of tho Confederate army— M'Clellan's plan of opcratioiig — Bombajdmeni 
of Port Ueiiry— General Tilglmian— Surrender of Fort Henry — Bombardment 
of Fort Donelson— General Floyd caught in a trap — Attack of the fleet — Pil- 
low's activity— Iron-plated ships — Capitulation and surrender of Fort Donel- 
son. 

Despite the humiliating reverses which it had sustained, the 
Confederate Government, not dismayed at its waning popu- 
larity, was fully determined to persevere in the war, notwith- 
standing the in^putation of being actuated in so doing by per- 
sonal motives. 

It had learned, through private sources of information, 
that General M'Clellan purposed making a flank movement 
with his army, with a view to transfer the seat of war to the 
Peninsula ; nay, that he had even made all the preparations 
for doing so. This news had a powerful effect upon the Con- 
federate Government and upon its generals. There can be no 
question, that if M'Clellan had been able to keep his well-de- 
vised plan a secret, he could have taken Richmond, and, with 
it, put an end to the war without much loss or sacrifice. But 
as soon as the Government of the South got an inkling of 
M'Clellan's plans, it at once issued orders for the withdrawal 
of its army from the Potomac. The plans of M'Clellan were 
so much dreaded that, despite the inclemency of tho season, 



196 WAR PICTURES. 

the Confederate troops were ordered to abandon their quarters 
without delay, and give up works at which an army of 100,000 
men had been laboring for months ; works which had cost 
hundreds of lives, and the erection of which was in direct 
proximity to Washington, had hitherto caused no little alarm 
to the inhabitants of that capital, who must have had their 
slumbers occasionally disturbed by the thought of having the 
Confederate army so near a neighbor. These works, which 
were on a very extensive scale, were all to be abandoned, in 
consequence of the Federal general's understood intention of 
attacking us at our weakest point. This fact alone entitles 
General M'Clellan to a page in history. Within twenty-four 
hours, he compelled an army of 130,000 men, posted within 
strong fortifications, to give up all the advantageous positions 
which they held, and to retreat one hundred and twenty miles 
back into the interior of the country, there to form a new 
basis for their operation. Surely this must suffice to prove 
that General M'Clellan's plan was a grand and skilful one. 
As soon as the Confederate army had commenced its march 
toward the Southern capital, Eichmond, the Government or- 
dered the now indispensable Beauregard to proceed to Tennes- 
see, in order to concert measures with General Johnston for 
a plan of operations in that part of the country. But even 
before General Beauregard had started. General Grant, with 
a Federal army, was on his way to endeavor to drive the 
Confederates out of Tennessee and Kentucky. Moreover, the 
enemy's fleet had steamed up the Tennessee river, with a view 
to capture the fort situated on the eastern bank. 

Fort Henry, the stronghold in question, was in an excel- 
lent state of defence, and was quite capable of giving a foe 
plenty of hard work. It was well provided with guns, and 
was commanded by General Tilghman, a brave and expe- 
rienced officer, with a strong garrison under him. The United 
States general, Grant, armed with a powerful squadron and 
a considerable body of land troops, lost no time in going to 



ATTACK ON FOET HENET. 197 

work. The attack was commenced by the guns from the ships 
opening a continuous fire upon the doomed fort. General 
Tilghman responded to the bombardment to the best of his 
endeavors ; and although his tents were set fire to, and the 
fort enveloped in smoke, he made a gallant defence. Shot, 
shell, and grape were incessantly poured into Fort Henry, 
whose brave commander, cut off from all retreat, adopted the 
resolution of defending himself to the last. 

This determined conduct of General Tilghman and the 
garrison of Fort Henry, offers a striking contrast to the in- 
glorious surrender of Roanoke Island. 

It was not until more than half of his guns were disabled, 
and a great portion of his men killed or wounded, and that 
the conflagration inside the fort threatened to spread to the 
ammunition magazines, that General Tilghman reluctantly 
consented to hoist the white flag as a signal of surrender. 
The enemy's ships, seeing this, like a flock of birds of prey, 
darted forward to take possession of the fort. General Grant, 
actuated by a feeling of respect for the gallantry of its defend- 
ers, returned General Tilghman his sword and treated him 
with marked regard. 

As soon as the Confederate General Johnston, who was 
stationed at Bowling Green, heard of the surrender of Fort 
Henry, he turned all his attention to Fort Donelson. He 
sent reinforcements thither, with exhortations to the officers 
to use all speed in perfecting their defensive works, so as riot 
to be taken by surprise by the victorious enemy. General 
Johnston had scarcely issued all the necessary orders for the 
defence of the lines and of the fort, when the arrival of Gen- 
eral Beauregard was announced. A conference was held be- 
tween the two generals, at which Beauregard expressed his 
entire concurrence with all the measures taken by John- 
ston ; he further promised the latter to exert all the influence 
he possessed with the Confederate Government to send him 
such reinforcements as they could spare, and to see that 



198 WAR PICTURES. 

arms and clothing, of which the troops stood much in need, 
should be provided, and also that their arrears of pay should 
be forthcoming. General Johnston having ordered the chief 
of his staff to give General Beauregard a copy of his plan of 
defence, as also his order of battle, the two generals then 
shook hands and separated. Johnston now ordered General 
Pillow to take the command of Fort Donelson, and having 
impressed upon his mind the importance of that post, he or- 
dered Floyd's brigade, which was encamped at Repelsville, 
to proceed to JFort Donelson without delay, there to receive 
further orders from General Pillow. 

General Floyd reluctantly obeyed this order, deeming 
Fort Donelson, no doubt, to bear too much resemblance to 
a mousetrap, particularly as a Federal general was advan- 
cing with a large army for the purpose of taking the fort at all 
risks. General Floyd, who had a particular aversion to the 
Federal troops, preferred fighting in the open plain or in the 
mountains to being shut up in a fort, where the only alterna- 
tives before him were either to be killed or to become a pris- 
oner of war. He advanced slowly with his brigade, hoping 
every moment to receive the news that Fort Donelson was 
invested by the enemy, and that thus his chance of entering 
it would be prevented. But his hopes were doomed to be 
disappointed. He arrived just in time to be able to enter the 
fort before General Grant appeared at the head of his army, 
accompanied by the naval squadron. 

Fort Donelson was now blockaded both by land and 
water, and the ships forthwith commenced shelling the fort, 
until night put a temporary stop to hostilities. General 
Pillow took advantage of this lull to strengthen his defensive 
works during the night as much as possible. At daybreak 
the Federal ships were ordered to resume the bombardment ; 
and in a very short space of time, Fort Donelson and the 
hostile squadron, which had approached so close as to bring 
tts broadsides to bear, were hotly engaged in a cannonade 



FOET DONELSOJiT. 199 

that lasted till noon, when General Grant made preparations 
to storm the fort. 

The Federal troops, elated by the capture of Fort Henry, 
advanced boldly up to the moats which were then full of 
water, and endeavored to carry the outworks, but General 
Pillow turning some of the guns he had been using against 
the ships upon his assailants upon the land side, poured a des- 
tructive shower of grape into their columns. 

The 'havoc inflicted upon his troops by this discharge, 
compelled General Grant to order them to retire from the 
assault, a movement that was executed with some difficulty. 
General Pillow, up to this moment, had reason to congratu- 
late himself upon this partial success. Despite the severe 
bombardment, the works of the fort had not suffered much, 
and the garrison worked manfully at the guns. 

As soon as night set in. General Pillow again went 
actively to work with his garrison in improving his means of 
defence. He erected a new battery of seven 32-pounders, 
and made every possible preparation to annoy his opponents. 
General Grant, on his part, was not idle : he was quite aware 
of the serious position he was in, well knowing that if the 
siege should be prolonged until General Johnston received 
reinforcements, the latter would not hesitate to give him 
battle under the walls of the fort, which might, under such a 
contingency, not improbably terminate in a defeat of the Fed- 
erals. Notwithstanding the wet and mud, his troops, who 
were ankle deep in water, set cheerfully to work, as the gene- 
ral had promised them that the flag of the Union should in a 
very short time float from the battlements of Fort Donelson. 
A siege battery was brought up during the night to a position 
within six hundred paces of the walls, whilst another was 
erected on the flank. When morning broke, the work had 
not yet been completed, and General Grant would not allow 
a shot to be fired till all was quite ready, so as not to expose 
a half-finished battery to the fire of the garrison. About 



200 WAK PICTUKES. 

noon he ordered his iron-clad ships to advance to the attack. 
In a few minutes these destructive monsters got up their 
steam, and on their approach General Pillow opened fire with 
his 32-pounders on the leading ship, but in spite of the heavy 
fire the iron-clad vessel crept closer, the shot fiymg off her 
sides like hail on the roof of a house. When within four 
hundred yards of tl^ fort, she veered round and showed her 
broadside, the other ships following close in her wake. 

Like a hut in a forest surrounded by famished wolves, so 
lay Fort Donelson, encircled by enemies on every side. As 
the besieging troops were not at that moment engaged, num- 
bers of the officers and men lined the batteries to witness the 
fight between the fort batteries and the ships, -About three 
o'clock the ironclads were nearly all in position, and at a 
short range opened a terrible fire upon the fort. As our 32 
and 48-pounders seemed to have little effect upon them, Gen- 
eral Floyd ordered double charges to be used, which was so 
far successful that it compelled the nearest ship to sheer off, a 
fact that gave occasion to a loud cheer from the garrison. A 
second ship was soon in the same predicament, and, finally, the 
officer in command withdrew all his ironclads from the con- 
test, satisfied with the mischief he had inflicted upon our 
works. The Confederates were, on their part, not less satis- 
fied with the result of their labors. The casualties in the 
garrison were few, and the men had got accustomed to the 
presence of the formidable ironclads. From hour to hour, 
however, it became more evident that (as experience has so 
often shown) it is almost impossible to resist successfully a 
series of energetic and simultaneous attacks by land and by 
water. Some of our works were considerably damaged by 
the cannonade from the Federal ships, and it was not to be 
doubted that when General Grant had completed his land bat- 
teries he would be able to carry the fort by storm. Timely 
aid by reinforcements from General Johnston could not be 
confidently reckoned upon, as he had already furnished all the 



A SOKTIB. 201 

troops he could well spare, and he must remain ha observation 
at Bowling Green with the residue of his force. All these 
points were duly weighed by General Floyd, and with much 
anxiety he looked forward to the impending capture of the 
fort. In the evening he assembled his officers in a council of 
war, to deliberate upon the best means to be resorted to un- 
der the circumstances. After a long debate, it was resolved 
that a general sortie should be made on the following morning. 

The officers forthwith received instructions to prepare 
everything for this desperate service. At midnight intense 
cold and a snowstorm set in, and the soldiers of the Confeder- 
ate army, already greatly wearied by night watches, and en- 
feebled by the want of many comforts, had lost much of their 
energy. Moreover, the troops selected for the sally were 
soon covered with snow, then fast falling, which did not help 
to encourage them. 

The following is an outline of the arrangements made for 
the sortie : 

General Floyd, with his brigade and one battery of twenty- 
four pounders, was to endeavor to occupy the heights lying to 
our right, and, on driving the enemy from that point, to main- 
tain himself there. General Pillow, with Baldwin's and 
M'Causland's brigades, was meanwhile to attack the centre of 
the besieging forces, and, if possible, to break through them ; 
and then, if successful, by having the enemy between him and 
Floyd, to rout them or make them prisoners. Each brigade 
being required to tell off a sufficient number of men to defend 
the intrenchments. 

The plan was a good one ; detailed orders were not given, 
as the bravery of the troops was "counted upon as much as the 
effect of combined action. The men assembled at one a. m., 
and had to endure for a tedious interval all the inclemency 
of the weather ; they, however, stood cheerfully under arms, 
ready to obey to the letter the orders of their officers. 

At three o'clock, in the midst of a heavy snowstorm, 
9* 



202 WAR PICTURES. 

they began gradually to leave the fort. The snow lay so 
deep that no noise of wheels could be heard, and the guns and 
ammunition vans moved silently along. The van of the ex- 
pedition consisted of troops from Virginia and Mississippi. 
These trusty men could be implicitly relied upon,, and they 
hoped to come upon the enemy imawares whilst wrapt in 
slumber. But they had miscalculated that enemy's watchful- 
ness. At midnight. General Grant, anxious for the safety of 
his encampment, had visited all his outposts, recommending 
his officers to keep a sharp lookout. This indefatigable officer 
then made a personal reconnoissance of the ground round the 
fort. It was a bitter cold night, as we have said, with a strong 
northwester blowing, and the snow falling in thick flakes. 

Grant, now fancying he saw a dark, solid mass moving over 
the snow, immediately ordered one of his regiments to pre- 
pare for an attack on the part of the enemy. lie had scarcely 
given the order, when along his line of outposts the words 
" Halt ! Who's there 1 " were uttered. Our men, who had 
hoped to force an entrance into the enemy's camp immedi- 
diately after driving in the pickets, now found that the vigil- 
ance of their opponents had baffled them in that expectation : 
so they proceeded at once to open fire and to attack them res- 
olutely. The enemy's pickets fell back, but without our 
troops gaining any marked advantage ; while the regiment 
ordered up by General Grant soon made its appearance ; and 
it was high time it did so, for the few troops engaged had a 
difficult task to hold in check our attacking columns. 

Alarm signals having been promptly made, the Federal 
troops speedily took up their respective positions. The sound 
of heavy guns announced that the squadron of ships also was 
preparing for action. General Pillow now ordered his men 
to fix bayonets and charge, and by this succeeded in gaining 
some ground. The cold was so intense, however, that the 
men could not reload their rifles, and the fight was carried on 
solely with the bayonet and the but ends of muskets. It 



A SORTIE. 203 

was a curious sight to witness the combatants struggling 
alnaost noiselessly in the middle of the night. Pillow had 
already pushed on so far that he hesitated about advancing 
farther, lest he should be too distant from Floyd's brigade on 
his right, and be left single handed to cope with the main 
body of the enemy. He therefore sent one of his officers to 
General Floyd to request him to form a junction with him as 
effectually as possible. But the latter had very difficult 
ground to get over, and endeavored to seize upon the road at 
Winn's Ferry, hoping from thence to effect a junction with 
Pillow's brigade. The enemy opposed his advance foot by 
foot, and when he had nearly reached the summit of the high 
ground. General Grant ordered a twelve-pounder battery to 
open upon his flank, which caused great havoc in Floyd's 
ranks and threw his troops into confusion. General Buckner, 
who commanded the reserve, immediately ordered up two 
regiments to Floyd's support ; but Grant, observing signs of 
confusion amongst the Confederate troops, directed a general 
attack upon the enemy along the whole line. He, himself, 
led his men against our right flank, and drove us back from 
one position to another. Never, since the battles of Rich 
Mountain and Manassas, had the Federal troops displayed 
greater steadiness than they did on this occasion. Here was 
another proof how a popular general can influence the con- 
duct of his troops. The struggle was a hand-to-hand one. 
The bayonet, the bowie knife, and the but end of the musket 
were the only weapons used. No quarter was asked — none 
given. Blood was shed in torrents, tinging the snow-clad 
earth all around with red patches. This conflict had now 
lasted nearly four hours, and numbers had fallen on both 
sides. At daybreak the ships opened the fire of their guns 
upon our troops, but soon desisted from firing, as friend and 
foe were so mixed up together that their deadly missiles would 
have been equally fatal to both. Our men were at last com- 
pletely overcome, and many sank down in the snow from 
shSer fatigue, never to rise again. 



204 WAR PICTUKES. 

IJndoi' tlicso circumstiincos, Concnxl Pillow ordered a re- 
trojit to be sounded. To on'oct this was no easy task ; and 
owinif to the state of the roads, the wounded had to be left 
upon the ground. Pillow's sadly maided brigade now retired 
hastily ; Floyd's and ])uckiier's brigades bringing up the 
rear. Even the sucecssfiil enemy seemed to have had enough 
of fighting, for ho did not molest our retreat ; the ships, how- 
evol-, continued to shell us, and immolated a few victims. 
About noon the last men of the Confederate army had re- 
cntei'cd the fort. Our troops were now convinced that the 
enemy was not wanting in courage, and that their general was 
not only jirudent and cautious, but quite capable, by his reso- 
lute sjtirit, of repelling any attack. A horrible spectacle now 
presented itself. The whole }>laiii around the fort was strewn 
with the bodies of the dead and wounded. Many of our 
wounded men lield up their hands imploring help, as the snow 
continued to fall upon them. Some brave fellows ventured 
outside the fort, in order to rescue some of Uiem, but they 
paid the penalty with their lives — the enemy being masters 
of (ho lield of battle. For two whole days the Confederates 
c^Mild hear the groans of their dying comrades, without having 
the powiM' to help them. Inside the fort the condition of the 
garrison was not nuich better. There Averc a great many 
wounded whosii t-asi's could scarcely bo attended to ; and 
many of the men had their fingers, toes, noses, and ears frost- 
bitten. Moreover, there was no adequate supply of provi- 
sions requisite for so large a. tbrce as 14,000 men. In the 
night. General Buekner, having assembled the oilicers of the 
fort at his quarters, plainly stated tlie condition in which the 
garrison was placed, and pointed out the impossibility of 
making a much longer defence: advising a capitulation. All 
had been done that honorable men and gallant soldiers could 
do ; they were shut up in tiic fort, surroumU'd by enemies, 
and could not reasonably hope for any relief from Genei'al 
Johnston for six or eight weeks to come, in his opinion, it 



GENERAL FLOYD'S ESCAPE. 205 

was advisable, therefore, to treat for honorable terms of eapitu- 
latioH. This explanation ereated a painful feeling amongst 
the oflieers, and a long pause ensued before any one would 
answer. 

General Floyd at last declared that, as far as he was con- 
cerned, he should object to any capitulation, and would sooner 
try to cut his way through the enemy. That general had no 
particular wish to bo taken to Washington as a prisoner of 
war, for he had rather an aversion to that capital. The cx- 
Secretavy of War probably would have sooner encovuitered 
any risk, from cold, hunger, or other privations, than that of 
becoming a prisoner under- the Federal authorities. Despite 
all tht^ entreaties of General Buckuer, Pillow agreed with 
Floyd's opinion, and the two set to work at once to arrange 
tlieir llight. The latter picked out his best troops, and added 
to them a regiment of cavalry under Colonel Forrest. A 
little after midnight, this body of troops, under the personal 
command of Generals Floyd and Pillow, issued forth from the 
fort, to attempt to cut their way through the enemy. General 
Buckuer, who had now assumed the command of Fort Donel- 
son, listened anxiously from the battlements for the expect- 
ed sounds of the conflict. The whole garrison was on the 
walls equally anxious. A short roll of musketry, and then 
all was still. In a few minutes the sentries on the walls an- 
nounced the arrival of some stragglers of Floyd's troops, who 
had lost their horses. The escaping force had cut its way 
through the enemy and escaped. 

Early the next morning. General Buckncr sent a flag of 
truce to the enemy's headquarters, to negotiate terms for a 
capitulation. General grant at once accepted the armistice 
proposed by Buckuer. lie expressed to the Confederate ofll- 
cer charged with the delicate negotiation his admiration of the 
bravery and firmness displayed by the garrison of the fort ; 
entertaining the highest esteem for a gallant foe, and he should 
do everything in his power to make- the condition of the 



206 WAR PICTURES. 

prisoners as comfortable as possible. He then ordered the 
chief of his staff to accompany the Confederate officer back to 
the fort to settle the terms of capitulation Avith General Buck- 
ner, and at the same time gave orders to his own surgeons to 
attend to the Confederate wounded generally. The surrender 
of the fort was to take place that day before four o'clock. 
" If not completed at that hour, the bombardment would be 
immediately recommenced, and the fort razed to the ground." 
These words, spoken in a decisive tone of voice, did not fail 
to have due effect upon the Confederate officer. Whilst they 
were on the point of leaving, General Grant inquired how it 
came that General Buckner was charged with settling the 
capitulation, instead of either Generals Floyd or Pillow, both 
of whom held superior -rank to him. On being informed in 
reply, that they both had escaped with a considerable portion 
of their troops during the night, he was fairly staggered at 
the unwelcome intelligence, and for the moment was com- 
pelled to lean for support against a table. 

'*' What, Floyd escaped ! " he exclaimed, as he struck the 
table furiously with his clenched fist. " Floyd escaped ! the 
very bird I wished to catch ! " It will be seen by this out- 
burst of disappointment, that Floyd was not far wrong when 
he fancied that the United States Government was very anxious 
to have the pleasure of seeing him safe at Washington, when 
they would no doubt have clapped him in a very pretty cage. 
Finding that his coveted prey was lost, General Grant turned 
sulkily away, and ordered the chief of his staff to settle the 
terms of capitulation with General Buckner as speedily as 
possible. 

At 1 p. M. the stipulations of surrender were so far settled 
that a Michigan regiment — a fine set of fellows — was allowed 
to enter the fort with drums beating and colors flying, then 
to assume the duty of sentinels. The Confederate troops as- 
sembled gradually, and, under the personal command of Gene- 
ral Buckner, marched out. Once again the poor fellows 



THE CAPITULATION. 207 

crossed the battle field, where many a frozen patch of blood 
denoted the spot where their fellow comrades and themselves 
had struggled so manfully, though so unsuccessfully, in the 
great sortie. As they marched past in no cheerful mood, a 
cold winter sun shed its pale rays through a veil of clouds 
upon the scene. 

At a given signal the Confederate flag was hauled down 
from the flagstaff of the fort and the remaining portion of the 
Confederate garrison laid down their arms. A salute of can- 
non then announced that the flag of the United States was 
about to be hoisted on the fort, and when the banner floated 
majestically in the air, the bands of the various regiments 
struck up " Hail Columbia," amidst the cheers of the Federal 
soldiers, proclaiming that Fort Donelson had fallen. 



308 WAB PICTUKES. 



CHAPTER XXVIIl. 

JOHN MOUGAN, THE GUERILLA CHIEFTAIN. 

Gonprnl ,Tolmston, liiud prossoil Tiy Oonoral BnoJl, rotires to Nnshvillc— Soci"et 
evacuation of Nastivillo— Foav and anxiety in tlte town— A general flight— 
Gt>uoral Floyd wakes lils appearaneo with the remnant of his troops — En- 
trauee of the Federal trooi's— Order restored— John Morgan, the guerilla 
ehief. 

The suiTondor o{ Fort Douolson placed the wliolo of the 
StAto of Kontuckv and a groat part of Tennessee in the 
enemy's power. This was a most serious blow to the Con- 
fedei'ato Government, as, independent of the gre^t loss that 
thus ensued to the State, it letl General Johnston opposed to 
the whole o( the Federal forces under General Buell, who 
was advancing with 40,000 men to attack him. Johnston 
was, conseipu>ntly, obliged to abandon his ground at Innvling 
Green; he took tip a position opposite Nashville, there to 
await reinforcements and to watch the enemy's movements. 
But Nashville was as good as lost ; on the day following his 
an-ival he was obliged to fall back on Murfreesborough. 

A scandalous scene now took place at Nashville, not easily 
paralleled in modern history. General Johnston, with the 
object of getting away with his troops unperceived, had quiet- 
ly marched out in the night from that town. This sudden 
and unexpected departure created great consternation and con- 
fusion amongst the inhabitants; the tumult reached its climax 
when Governor Harris galloped through the sfcroets announ- 



NASHVILLK. 209 

cing that the enemy was at hand, and that every man who was 
capable of doing so should save himself by flight. All the 
offices, courts of justice, house of legislature, where the mem- 
bers were holding a session, broke up ; the whole population, 
in fact, was .in a state of the most feverish excitement, and 
every one prepared to leave the town. The members of the 
State Government, and others high in office, were the first to 
take to flight. The hasty departure of the members of the 
Government to Memphis, and the retreat of General Johnston 
to !Murfreesborough, added to the fear that the enemy would 
make reprisals, caused almost as great a panic as if an earth- 
quake had taken place. Women and children ran wailing 
through the streets. Trunks, boxes, and furniture were 
thrown out of the windows, and lay scattered about the pave- 
ment. It was as if the whole population had gone stark mad. 
Every one was shouting and running about not knowing 
wherefore. In the midst of this scramble and hubbub a shout 
suddenly arose. " The enemy ; the enemy is coming ! " 

On the heights above the town a body of troops was 
really in sight. They advanced slowly and cautiously, and 
entered the town. But these were no hostile troops ; the new- 
comers proved to be Floyd with the remnants of his brigade. 
As cautious as an old fox who feared his snare, he made his 
approach. The noise and confusion, and the number of per- 
sons taking to flight had arrested his attention, and dictated 
prudence. As soon as it was known in the town that the 
troops which had entered were not those of the enemy, but 
Confederates, with the brave General Floyd at their head, the 
despair of the population was turned into the most ridiculous 
rejoicing. The Confederates were welcomed as victors ; pro- 
visions and wine were brought out for their use ; children 
danced in the streets, and many of the inhabitants, who had 
returned to the town, gathered round them to implore their 
protection. But when the soldiers, after having refreshed 
themselves with the good things laid before them, began to 



210 TVAR PICTURES. 

saddle their horses to proceed farther on their march, the as- 
tounded population discovered that these were not troops sent 
to protect the town, but that they were men who, themselves? 
were escaping from the enemy. Fort Donelson had fallen, 
and the enemy was advancing in great force on Nashville. 
Deep curses were uttered against Floyd and his men, and the 
population sought to make up for the time they had lost. 
The rabble of the town, who only awaited an opportune mo- 
ment, now began the work of plunder and robbery. All the 
shops that contained food or drink were broken into ; a regu- 
lar scene of looting ensued. Women and children, laden with 
stolen goods, were running about in all directions, and gangs 
of drunken scoundrels rolled about the deserted streets. The 
black population streamed into the town to have their share 
in the general pillage, and, .though more than one had 'his 
brains knocked out for his pains, many had the opportunity 
of rriaking a large booty. Several adherents of the Union, 
who resided at Nashville, were in imminent danger of their 
lives, as they dreaded an attack from the mob. Millions of 
dollars worth of goods were destroyed or carried off during 
the night ; and the stock of provisions which the Confederates 
had for months stored up here was sacrificed. In fact the 
total destruction of Nashville was imminent, if the Federal 
troops did not soon make their appearance to save it from so 
deplorable a fate. 

In the night the news spread that the enemy's troops had 
arrived outside Nashville. All the peaceful citizens who had 
remained in the town looked anxiously forward for their 
entrance. Pistol shots were heard, and a detachment of 
United States dragoons galloped into the town, sabring right 
and left all whom they met in the streets. The rioters and 
pillagers fled in every direction, leaving the town in the pos- 
session of the troops and of the honest citizens who had not 
fled. A few hours afterward, large bodies of troops under 
General Grant entered Nashville, and soon restored order and 



JOHN MOKGAK. 211 

tranquillity. With astonishment the Federal troops must 
have looked at the closed country houses and villas, which 
seemed quite deserted, and betrayed no sign of life within 
their walls. The owners of these had fled with the retiring 
troops of Floyd. While the Federal troops took quiet pos- 
session of Nashville, the partisans of the Confederates on the 
other bank were preparing for resistance, under the leadership 
of John Morgan, a man who had rendered himself famous by 
his extraordinary feats of daring. 

Of vulgar extraction and of no education, but gifted with 
extraordinary courage and self-possession, John Morgan had 
formed a body of men of his own stamp, who preferred 
fighting, and the hardships of a roving life, to any peaceful 
occupation. His band roamed about the country with such 
audacity as to become a perfect dread to the enemy. Scarce- 
ly a day passed without some daring act being recorded of 
John Morgan and his horsemen. Although he and his band 
belonged, properly speaking, to General Hardee's division, 
and his duty was to watch the enemy's movements, he much 
preferred doing a little business on his own account. 

One day he proposed to his men to make a raid upon the 
little town of Gallatin, twenty miles north of Nashville, then 
occupied by the enemy. The very idea of such an expedition 
created a joyful excitement amongst his desperate followers, 
and like lightning they fell upon the town and took possession 
of it. Whilst his inen were robbing and plundering to their 
heart's content, Captain Morgan proceeded to the office of the 
telegraph in the expectation of finding important despatches 
there. The official on duty had not the slightest idea of what 
was going on in the town, and when Captain Morgan asked 
him with great politeness what news he had received, the 
agent took him for an officer of the United States army, and 
replied, " Nothing particular ; but inquiries are being made 
continually respecting that rebel bandit, Morgan. But if he 
should ever come across my path I have pills enough to sat- 



212 WAR PICTURES. 

isfy him ! " pulling out his revolver as he said this, and flour- 
ishing it in the air before he thrust it back into his belt. As 
goon as he had finished, the strange officer thundered forth, 
" You are speaking to Captain Morgan ; I am Morgan, you 
miserable wretch." The poor official sank on his knees, and 
with the fear of death full upon him, sued for mercy. " I 
will not hurt you," retorted Morgan, " but send off" this des- 
patch at once to Prentice :* 

" Mr. Prentice — As I le§rn at this telegraph office that 
you intend to proceed to Nashville, perhaps you will allow 
me to escort you there at the head of my band 1 

" John Morgan." 

It is easy to conceive what a fright Mr. Prentice must 
have been in, when the authenticity of this despatch was 
proved a few days afterward. 

After seiading off" this friendly invitation, Morgan has- 
tened to the railway station to see the train come in. In a 
few minutes it came up, upon which Captain Morgan ordered 
one of his men, with pistol in hand, to take charge of the en- 
gine driver, whilst he examined the carriages, and proceeded 
to take five officers prisoners. He then had all the carriages 
set fire to, and filling the engine with turpentine, tow, and 
other inflammable matter, stopped up the vents, and sent it 
back on fire in full speed toward Nashville. The engine, 
however, exploded, after going a few hundred yards. After 
this exploit, Morgan and his men, with their prisoners, re- 
mounted their horses and gained the camp in safety, where 
they were enthusiastically welcomed by their comrades. 

On another occasion he surprised a picket of six Federal 
soldiers, and made them prisoners. He was quite alone. 
On coming across them he went straight up to the corporal 
in command, and, passing himself off" as a Federal officer, ex- 

* Editor of a paper at Louisville, and a mortal enemy of Morgan. 



JOHN MORGAN. 218 

pressed his indignation at their slovenly appearance, and or- 
dered them to lay down their muskets, and regard themselves 
as under arrest. The order was obeyed ; hut when the men 
saw that he was taking them in a contrary direction,, they ob- 
served that they were going the wrong road. " Not so," he 
retorted ; " I am Captain Morgan, and know best what road 
you have to take." These little adventures, amongst many of 
a similar nature, made his name well known, and acquired for 
him a widespread popularity. 



814 WAR PICTURES. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

JOHNSTON ON THE TENNESSEE RIVER — FLOYD AND PILLOW. 

General Johnston collects a new army— He occupies South Nashville on the Ten- 
nessee river— Outposts— Pillow aud Floj-d are brought before a court martial 
hy order of President Jefferson Davis— Pillow's farewell to his troops. 

Meantime, General Johnston was not idle ; he gathered to- 
gether the dispersed remnants of Generals Crittenden and 
Zollicoffer's forces, and also of what remained of Floyd's bri- 
gade, so that the army under his orders again numbered about 
21,000 men, a force sufficient to enable him to take the field 
with some chance of holding his ground. The fall of Fort 
Donelson had compelled him to make considerable altera- 
tions in his previous plans, and to organize a new line of de- 
fence. Without deliberating long about it, he resolved to 
form a junction with General Beauregard, in Mississippi, and 
to undertake the defence of South Nashville, so as to keep 
open the southwestern railway for the use of the Confederate 
troops. 

It was here, on the Tennessee river, that the most sanguin- 
ary outpost skirmishes occurred. North and South, with all 
the animosity which hatred and fury could excite, which cun- 
ning or deception could devise means for gratifying, endeav- 
ored mutually to destroy each other. Here is an example : 

One day two sentinels were posted opposite each other. 
The one was a son of our sunny South, the other a moody 



AN OUTPOST DUEL. 216 

Northern. The Confederate lay behind a rock, and with the 
eyes of a lynx watched every movement of his foe, who was 
sheltered by a tree. The latter belonged to a regiment from 
the cold, frosty, western region of Michigan, and was a man 
of colossal stature, a fine specimen of a fearless soldier. For 
some hours the Northerner and the Southei'ner had been watch- 
ing each other, without either having had a fitting opportunity 
for a shot. This wearisome inactivity at last annoyed the 
Southerner, who shouted to his foe to come forth from behind 
his cover. The latter obeyed the request, and coolly drew 
himself up like a tower, by the side of his tree. " Ping," and 
a bullet grazed his head without hurting him. " Too high ! " 
he shouted back to his enemy ; " it's my turn now." Like a 
snake the son of the South glided from behind his rock, and 
stood leaning on his musket as self-possessed as the other, op- 
posite his enemy. Crack went the rifle. 

" Too low ! " shouted the untouched Southerner. 

This game was carried on for some time, until a bullet 
from the Northerner grazed the ear of the Southerner. " Let 
us stop firing," shouted the latter, " my ammunition is out ; 
let us go to camp for more.'' Whereupon both men shoul- 
dered their rifles and walked cheerfully away, the Northerner 
whistling " Yankee Doodle," and the Southerner his fiivorite 
tune of " Dixie." 

General Johnston intrusted the joint command at Chatta- 
nooga to Generals Floyd and Pillow with their brigade ; he, 
himself, taking up a position between the above-mentioned 
town and Memphis. Olie morning, a messenger arrived at 
JohnstoH-'s headquarters, bringing an order from Presiden.'. 
Jefferson Davis to the effect that Generals Floyd and Pillow 
should be deprived of their command, and that those two 
generals should proceed forthwith to Richmond, to explain 
their conduct when in command at Fort Donelson, and to 
give an account, before a court martial, of behavior which 
threw such discredit upon the Confederate army. 



216 WAR PICTUEES. 

Whatever might have been thought of Floyd's conduct, 
there was, surely, no blame to be attached to General Pillow". 
This latter general, by his conduct at the battle of Belmont, 
by the energy he displayed in the sortie from Fort Donel- 
son, had given sufficient proofs of his zeal and courage. It 
was very disheartening for so honorable and brave a man to 
find that the fussy officials at Richmond should challenge his 
conduct, as every one of his acts had been performed with the 
welfare of his country in view, for the glory of which he had 
often faced death, and shed his blood upon the battle field. 
And yet the all-powerful President must needs bring before a 
court martial a man universally honored and respected by his 
countrymen. Rather an inifavorable prognostic for the fu- 
ture Confederate Republic, should it succeed eventually in 
achieving its independence ! _ General Johnston himself did 
not fail to see the risk the Government incurred by such con- 
duct ; and other excellent and experienced officers, on hearing 
of what had occurred, frankly declared they would no longer 
serve the Confederate cause, if they were to be subjected to 
any such treatment at the hands of their Government. A for- 
midable agitation pervaded the whole camp, which hourly be- 
came more serious ; the feeling of indignation which had been 
aroused among the officers being shared by the men. All 
concurred in denouncing Benjamin, the Secretary of War, 
and the influential advisei' of the President, as the evil 
genius of the Confederate cause, and the source of more mis- 
chief than the loss of many battles. In fact, the discontent 
in the camp increased to such an extent that an outbreak was 
apprehended. 

General Johnston was placed in a most critical position. 
In front of him he had an enterprising enemy flushed by re- 
cent success, and behind him a mutinous army. In this dilem- 
ma, he requested General Pillow to exert himself to calm the 
excitement that existed amongst the troops, and that zealous 
officer, true to his duty, immediately issued an order for all 



GENERAL PILLOW'S FAREWELL. 217 

the men of his division to assemble at his headquarters, as he 
wished to take leave of them. Like a raging sea lashed into 
fury by the wind, with its waves brealdng violently on the 
be^ch, tlie troops proceeded, in a grumbling mood, through the 
avenues of the camp, while here and there groups of the more 
discontented might be seen standing at different points discus- 
sing, in angry tones, the events of the day. A great number of 
men belonging to other divisions joined in the crowd to hear 
General Pillow's farewell address to his faithful soldiers. 
The excitement amongst the troops, in their eagerness to hear 
what the general had to say, reached its highest pitch ; and, 
had some energetic leader just then come forward to denounce 
the Government, it might have fiired ill with the cause of the 
Confederacy. 

Had President Jefferson Davis and his fides Achates, Ben^ 
jamin, made their appearance at this critical moment, I doubt 
very much whether their high position would have shielded 
them from the insults of the incensed soldiery. 

At last a roll of drums, and a flourish from the staff trum- 
pets, aimounced that General Pillow was about to take leave 
of his troops. Like a swarm of bees, all rushed eagerly for- 
ward to get as near to the general as possible. 

Pale, and evidently laboring under great emotion, General 
Pillow, surrounded by his officers, appeared in fi'ont of the 
troops, to see them, perhaps for the last time. In anxious ex- 
pectation all eyes were turned upon him : it was a solemn 
moment. In a powerful, yet trembling voice, the general bade 
farewell to those whom he had so ably led, with whom he had 
so cheerfully shared the hardest fare on many occasions ; to 
those who had followed him into the hottest fire, willingly 
facing death and destruction, that they might participate in the 
dangers he was ever ready to confront. As he stood before 
them, the cold winter w' ind blowing through his scanty white 
hair, his heart heaved with scorn at the malice of his enemies ; 
but not one word of anger passed his lips. He exhorted the 
10 



218 WAR PICTURES. 

soldiers, as true sons of their country, to hold firmly together^ 
and remain faithful to that cause for which they had already 
expended so much blood ; and urged them to be prepared to 
fight for it again. With an ironical smile, he added, " We 
have not been fighting for the interests of President Davis, but 
for the common welfare of the whole Southern people, and for 
the Confederacy ; we are ready to fight and die for our coun- 
try, not for the private interests of a few. I am about to quit 
the theatre of war ; but you must persevere in the path which 
you have selected. Wherever I may be, however, my heart and 
ray thoughts will accompany you ; and when the news of 
your gallant deeds reaches me, then I shall proudly exclaim : 
* Well done, my own my brave fellows !' " Many an eye 
grew dim, and many a sunburnt, brawny hand was now stretch- 
ed out to shake that of the general, who thus concluded his 
address : " The Government has the power to deprive me of 
my command, but it has not the power to deprive me of the 
love of my brave comrades !" When he had uttered these 
words, the enthusiastic cheering of the men knew no bounds. 
They all rushed forward, each eagerly bent on shaking hands 
once more with his gallant commander, and it was quite affect- 
ing to see, amongst this excited crowd, one of the wild hunt- 
ers of Arkansas advance to General- Pillow, and exclaim, in 
simple but energetic terms : " Never mind. General, though 
you leave us, you may be sure that, far off as we may be from 
you, you will never liavc reason to be ashamed of your bravo 
boys." 



GENERAL ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON. 210 



CHAPTER XXX. 

BATTLE OF SHILOH. 

General Johnston, with his array, joins General Beauregard— General Grant's 
plan of attack— March on Shiloh — Commencement of the battle on the morn- 
ing of the 6th April— rroutisB's division lays down its arms— General Johnston 
mortally wounded— Desperate attack of the Confederatos— Brave conduct of 
General Grant— Grant breaks through our centre— Bravery of the German 
brigade — The attack of the Federal troops— The Confederates hard pressed— 
Want of ammunition— Beauregard compelled to fall back — Names of the 
generals who fell in the battle- Loss of the Confederates— Prince Polignac— 
Beauregard collects a new army— Charles Van Dorn and General Price come up 
in support. 

General Johnston expressed his deep sense of obligation to 
General Pillow for the manner in which the latter had I'o- 
sponded to his request, and thus put a stop to any further act 
of insubordination amongst his troops, and he now lost no 
time in taking the necessary steps to form a junction with 
General 'Beauregard, on the Mississippi. Beauregard had 
assembled his army at Corinth, and was carefully watching 
the movements of the enemy on the Tennessee and the neigh- 
boring rivers, when he received the information that General 
Johnston was approaching with the army under his orders. 
The news spread like wildfire through the camp, and when 
that officer and his aide-de-camp rode, one fine morning, up to 
Beauregard's headquarters, the rejoicing was unbounded. 
The strength of General Johnston's army was 25,000 men, 
and this addition to Beauregard's force was very opportune, 



220 WAR PICTURES. 

as the Federal Generals, Ilallecik and Bucll, held positions at 
no great distance, and an attack iVom either of thcni might bo 
expected at any moment. Johnston's columns gradually 
poured into the camp, where they met with a hearty welcome 
from Beauregard's troops, who, ho\v(>.vcr, stood high in their 
own estimation, on account of the deeds they had performed 
in Arkansas, Texas, and Pensacola. Johnston's troops were 
in a very sorry condition ; many of the men had no shoes or 
cloaks, and Beauregard's oflicers eagerly inquired if it was 
true that they had gone through the severe winter campaign 
in such a plight. " We were often much worse off than wo 
are now," was the reply of tlieso hardy, wcather-Lcaten fel- 
lows. Eagerly did Beauregard's troops bring all they could 
spare in the shape of clothing and jn'ovisions, for they admit- 
ted that these brave men had undergone greater liardships 
than they themselves had. Generals Johnston and Beaure- 
gard held a private conference to communicate their views to 
each other, and adopt some fixed plan of action. Beauregard 
assumed the command of the position on the line of railway 
which runs from Corinth to luka, whilst Johnston took uo a 
position on the lino between Corinth and Bethel ; and thus 
advantageously posted, they resolved to organize their army, 
all the time watching tlie enemy's movements. 

General Grant, whoso eirorts had met with so mucli suc- 
cess, now wished to attack the enemy in the cotton-growing 
districts of the South, and, with this object in view* he con- 
centrated all his troops on the west bank of the Tennessee, 
in the direction from Pittsburg toward Savannah, as ho 
looked forward to form a junction with General Buell, who 
was moving in the direction from Nashville to Columbus. 
General Johnston, w^ho saw with some anxiety this attempted 
junction of the two armies of the enemy, as it would place 
liini in an awkward position, proposed to General Beauregard 
to make a combined attack upon Grant's army before Buell 
joined him, as the odds were two to one they would beat him. 



JOHNSTON'S PLAN OF ATTACK. 221 

General Beauregard, who admitted the superior strategic 
tactics of General Johnston, at once agreed to his plans, and 
it was resolved to make the proposed attack without delay, 
with the purpose of driving General Grant from his position, 
and, if possible, to take him and his army prisoners, but in 
any case to compel them to fall back on their transport ships, 
and thereby oblige them to leave all their abundant stores 
and ammunition in our hands. The requisite preparations 
were forthwith made for conveying the intended booty to 
Corinth. According to General Johnston's plan, Saturday 
morning was fixed for the attack, and 300 carts were to be 
ready with their drivers to carry off the captured stores at 
oiice. General Beauregard had commenced his movements 
already on the Thursday, but the roads were in such a bad 
condition that it was Saturday morning before he was ready 
to commence operations ; consequently the general attack 
was postponed till the Sunday morning. If Beauregard had 
more carefully provided for the wants of his men, and been 
enabled to make the attack on the Saturday, as had been pre- 
viously agreed upon, it is more than probable that on that 
day the Confederates would have achieved a victory, because 
before General Buell would have had time to come up to sup- 
port Grant, the latter would, in all probability, have been 
routed. It is thus evident that Beauregard had delayed many 
preparations which ought to have been made long before. 

The orders for the attack were now issued. General 
Hardee was to-march, with his corps, and with a brigade of 
General Bragg, against Pittsburg, whilst the cavalry was to 
occupy the plain. Close on its heels was to follow General 
Bragg's 2d corps cfarmee, whilst the corps d'armee of Generals 
Johnston and Polk were to advance on a much worse road, 
which ran in a parallel line with the other, and the whole of 
the reserve was to follow on a third road, under the command 
of General Breckinridge. 

Despite the bad roads, the troops advanced cheerfully. 



222 "WAR PICTURES. 

Every man seemed confident of victory, and before midnight 
on Saturday tboy had reached the vicinity of Shiloh, and were 
consequently in face oi^ the enemy. 

The morning of the 6th of April had scarcely dawned, and 
the first rays of light were only just fringing the undulating 
ground, when we beheld the enemy's army spread out before 
us. They had taken up a position near Shiloh, making the 
church their chief joo/;;/ rf'o^^j!)^/, and occupying the road which 
leads from Pittsburg to Corinth, witli a strong force. The 
whole conformation of the ground appeared as if purposely 
made for a battle between two large armies. A better battle- 
ground could scarcely be found anywhere than the one now 
spread before us. It was not an extensive plain, but one of 
those undulating, broken tracts of country upon which both 
armies could carry out spkndid mananivres. There was 
scope here for the movements of both cavalry and artillery to 
their hearts' desire, and the ground, in foot, offered opportuni- 
ties for the full display of good generalship. 

The watcht'ul enemy had scarcely perceived the heads of 
our iirst advancing columns, when a shot from a ritled cannon 
sent us a morning greeting, and in a few minutes a complete 
change had come over the whole scene. In the stead of the 
peaceful stillness which only a few moments previously 
reigned around, the whole air now resounded with noise and 
tumult. Federal regiments, with tlags flying and bands play- 
ing, marched into their respective positions; batteries and 
ammunition vans rattled forward, whilst generals, officers, 
and their aide-de-eamps could be seen galloping to and fro 
like misty shado\vs. A similar life and activity soon display- 
ed itself in the Co>:federate army, and it was a grand spectacle 
to behold the regiments tile past one by one. Each regiment 
could be distinguished by its colors, appearance, and nianner 
of marching ; and these indicated to what State it belonged. 
The fiery, sprightly sons of Louisiana seemed almost to dance 
past, whilst the men of Texas and Arkansas advanced with a 



BATTLE OF SHILOH. 223 

steady, firm step, and a self-possessed look ; while the firm 
grasp with which they held their muskets indicated that the 
enemy would have hard woi'k to do in dealing with them. 

Small bodies of light cavalry, splendidly mounted, now 
swept past, under the command of Young, Lewis, and Connor, 
and the batteries of the different corps dCarmee followed up 
quickly with a thundering noise. In a short time the firing 
commenced along the top outpost's line, and gradually in- 
creased in vigor. As yet, however, none of the batteries had 
been brought into play ; no whole regiment had been engaged ; 
the troops were taking up their respective positions before 
the conflict was to begin. Every man felt that a great battle 
was on the eve of being fought, and made his preparations 
accordingly. 

At last the distribution of the troops was completed, and 
each corps had taken up the position allotted to it. 

The avant-garde which was to commence the battle was 
annexed to General Hardee's corps cCarmee ; whilst Generals 
Johnston and Beauregard commanded the centre. General 
Bragg the right, and General Polk the left wing ; and General 
Breckinridge took up a well-covered position, with the re- 
serve forces under his orders. General Beauregard now or- 
dered Hai'dee's columns to advance to the attack, which was 
directed chiefly against General Prentiss's troops, stationed be- 
tween Owl and Lick Creeks. 

Our men charged the enemy with fixed bayonets, and 
gained ground at once. General Johnston sent up Trabues's 
brigade in support, which decided the fight in this quarter ; 
General Prentiss, with 5,000 men of his division, being com- 
pelled to lay down their arms, and these were sent as prison- 
ers to the rear. This was not a bad beginning for the Con- 
federates, and their courage rose in consequence. 

General Grant, seeing that Prentiss's division was cut up, 
and that our men had occupied that officer's positions, imme- 
diately ordered up all the batteries he could dispose of, and 



224 WAK mCTUKES. 

opened a tremendous fire of grape upon the Confederate 
troops. In vain did General Johnston endeavor to keep 
Plardee's men together: the enemy's ai'tillery made such havoc 
in their ranks that they broke and dispersed. General Beau- 
regard then ordered his centre to advance to the attack, whilst 
Johnston hastened to support Hardee with one or two regi- 
ments. But scarcely had Johnston reached Hardee's lines 
when a rifle bullet strucJc him, and he fell from his horse 
mortally wounded. 

His death caused a momentary panic amongst his troops ; 
but resolved to avenge the loss of their beloved general, they 
rushed upon the foe with such energy that the Federals were 
driven back toward their gunboats, the commanders of which, 
on perceiving the critical state of affairs, opened a heavy fire on 
our men. General Grant found it a very difficnlt task to keep 
his centre unbroken ; but despite the repeated attacks of Gen- 
erals Beauregard and Polk, ho held his ground. 

The enemy's centre was in a very critical position, for if 
broken through, the whole Federal army Avould have been 
lost. General Grant made the most determined resistance to 
every attack we made upon him, and endeavored to fall back 
under the protection of the guns of his flotilla. All his troops 
had been actively engaged since five o'clock in the morning, 
and no fresh troops were available, as nearly the whole of the 
Federal reserve had been ordered up. 

The loss of life this day was extremely severe, especially 
on our side ; for in General Johnston ayc lost one of the bra- 
vest and most talented generals of the Confederate States. He 
was the real Commander-in-Chief — the heart and soul which 
gave life to the whole army. Whenever ho was present, 
oflicers and men seemed to fight better, for they felt that his 
orders were all for the best, and placed implicit confidence in 
him. Through the death of Johnston, the army lost its main- 
stay. He was almost the only general, with the exception of 
Beauregard, who was not teased with orders from Richmond, 



BATTLE OF SHILOH. 225 

and who was allowed to exercise his own judgment as re- 
garded his plans and movements : it was quite evident he knew 
best how to act. By his death, the combined armies came 
under the sole command of Beauregard ; and although the 
latter had many warm admirers among both officers and men, 
he did not, on the whole, enjoy that full confidence of the 
army so necessary to a commander-in-chief. 

When darkness had put a stop to all further operations 
for the day, various instances of negligence, unpardonable on 
the part of a general, were discovered. The men had been 
fighting incessantly the whole day without tasting food, and 
yet nothing had been provided to satisfy their hunger ; nor 
could the different divisions procure any more ammunition, 
although this was known to have been on the road since the 
morning ; but it had not reached them at nine in the evening, 
while further dispositions had been taken for renewing the 
attack on the following morning. This damped the spirits of 
the men, and made them feel less confident in success. 

At the very commencement of the battle. General Beaure- 
gard ought to have taken the necessary steps to prevent such 
mistakes ; but when General Johnston fell, he was so much 
occupied with the duties of the sole command, which had thus 
unhappily devolved upon him, that he forgot to attend to 
what he ought to have done long before. 

Whilst the troops bivouacked on the battle field, the ivain 
poured down in torrents, so that the men had to sit in so 
many small pools, and vainly endeavored to keep their fire- 
arms dry. The officers occasionally consulted together, counted 
up their losses, and spoke despondingly of the awkward posi- 
tion they would be .placed in if General Buell should succeed 
in forming a junction with General Grant. The night thus 
passed dismally in drenching rain, the silence being only in- 
terrupted occasionally by the stray report of a musket fired 
by some sentry. 

At last a faint gray streak of light in the far horizon an-, 
10* 



226 WAR PICTtTEES. 

nounced that day was beginning to dawn. The different bri- 
gades and divisions at once commenced taking up their re- 
spective positions, and were still doing so, when the enemy's 
troops opened a heavy fire of musketry and artillery upon us. 
Without leaving us any time for consideration, General Grant 
now made a most determined attack upon our centre and our 
left wing. The attack was so energetically made, that the 
whole of our line began to waver. Our men became alarmed. 
The enemy, whom they had almost annihilated the day before 
— whose ranks they had almost decimated, and whom they 
had hoped to rout completely to-day — that beaten, defeated 
enemy, now reopened the battle. But the Confederate troops 
were not allowed much time to indulge in their reflections ; 
the conquerors of Fort Donelson pushed them so hai-d, that 
it was all they could do to hold their ground, and General 
Grant, like a wounded lion, led on his men, who all seemed 
animated by one feeling — the desire to wipe out the stain of 
the previous day's defeat. The battle raged with actual 
ferocity in the centre and on the left wing. The Federal 
troops fought desperately, and did great havoc in our ranks, 
though our men stood their ground for a long time with great 
bravery. But, lo ! a Mississippi regiment begins to waver. 
In vain do the officers exhort the men to remain firm; they 
gradually give way. General Grant, observing the disorder, 
directed a heavy fire upon the weak point, placed himself at 
the head of some Ohio regiments, and cut his way through 
our broken ranks. In spite of the efforts of General Bragg, 
who opened a 12-pounder battery upon him, he maintained 
the footing he had gained, and his men held their ground. 
Like corn cut down by the sickle, numbers were mowed 
down, but those who remained unscathed only fought with 
the more determination. Two brigades now advanced to 
General Grant's support, but at the same moment Beaure- 
gard made his appearance with the reserve cavalry and two 
batteries. The cavalry was ordered to charge the two ad- 



SAD ASPECT OF THE FIELD. 227 

vancing brigades, but before they could come to close quar- 
ters a terrible volley from the enemy brought down many 
from their saddles, causing great confusion in their ranks. In 
a few moments their unhurt comrades charged at full speed 
into the enemy's battalions, where a hand-to-hand fight ensued. 
Pistol and sabre did active work. Beauregard, finding that 
General Grant had lost the expected support of the two 
brigades, immediately attacked him in front, and compelled 
him, after a most fierce and sanguinary struggle, to abandon 
the position he had acquired at so much loss. Grant fell back 
in good order with the remnant of his fine German brigade — 
for it was they who had braved the storm that waged round 
them — but only to allow his men a short respite. 

The battle field presented a sad spectacle, for the loss on 
both sides had been enormous. No preparation had been 
made for conveying away the vast number of wounded ; in 
vain did these implore help from their own men — it was of 
no avail ; all feeling of humanity had vanished, and the living 
walked unconcerned past the dead and the dying, bent only 
upon dealing more destruction. 

General Beauregard, followed by his staff", now galloped 
along his whole line, visiting all the positions. At every 
point the fighting had been most severe, and the reserves had 
been made use of so lavishly during the battle, that now that 
they were expressly needed there were none at hand. Anxious 
and perplexed, he directed his glances around, but there was 
now not much time for consideration, for General Buell had 
succeeded in joining General Grant. 

The enemy again took the offensive in great force, to try 
and wrestle fron^ us the laurels which we already fancied we 
had won. We now learnt from some of the prisoners that 
the corps dhirmee of the enemy, under Generals Nelson, 
M'Cook, and Crittenden, had joined General Grant's army. 
All the energies of the enemy's generals were now directed 
to one object — to force Beauregard's centre — so as to fl^ain 
the positions they had occupied on the previous day. 



228 WAR PICTUEES. 

In fine order the regiments of Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, 
and Indiana advanced to renew the battle, and, if possible, to 
bring it to a final issue. Our men stood this attack with un- 
flinching courage, and succeeded in driving back the columns 
of the enemy, who fell back, terribly cut up, but trusting by 
the aid, of their supports to be again able to attack us. The 
Confederate generals now earnestly entreated Beauregard to 
relieve them by reinforcements, that they might partially 
withdraw their exhausted troops from the fight, as most of 
the regiments had lost their staff officers, and had fired away 
all their ammunition. Beauregard urged them to hold out 
for one hour more with the troops they had, and he should 
then be able to send them reinforcements and ammunition. 
This was but poor comfort, as he had not the means at his 
disposal to keep his promise. A great portion of his reserve 
was already actively engaged, and the remnant, joined by a 
rabble of plunderers, was away pillaging the enemy's camp. 
Thousands of these vagabonds left their posts to make what 
booty they could, robbing alike friend and foe. Beauregard, 
whose personal daring and bravery is beyond challenge, did 
not possess all the necessar-y qualifications for a commander- 
in-chief. If he had striven to collect these pillagers he could 
have brought them up to the support of his centre and held 
his ground there, even if his flanks were driven in. The 
troops, weakened by their heavy losses, might then have 
formed into a closer and more compact body, without dis- 
turbing their plan of action. 

All eyes were now anxiously turned toward the centre, 
where, for some minutes, the firing on our side had ceased. 
Even the bravest breathed hard when he saw the defenceless 
condition of our men at this point. Fresh columns of the 
enemy now advanced to the attack. With loud shouts and 
cheers these Western regiments threw themselves upon our 
decimated ranks, destitute of ammunition. Our men firmly 
awaited the attack and the volley of the enemy's columns 



RETEEAT OF THE CONFEDEEATES. 329 

without being able to respond to it. " Fix bayonets and for- 
ward ! " was the order now given by our general. It was the 
only resource left, A terrible melee ensued. General Grant, 
seizing the opportune moment, ordered his small body of 
cavalry to charge our men, who were fighting with their side 
arms only, whilst he was driving our left and right flanks 
from one position to another. Our condition was a desperate 
one, when General Beauregard ordered the whole of our artil- 
lery to take up position near Shiloh Church, to cover our re- 
treat. General Breckinridge was oi'dered, also, to gather 
together all the troops he could, to form them into a body of 
reserve to cover our retreat. About noon the order to retire 
was given, and the movement was commenced in very fair 
order. It was difficult, however, to induce the troops engaged 
in the centre to leave the battle field, and their own officers had 
positively to compel them to retreat. At last, about 3 o'clock 
in the afternoon, our army, after having suffered immense 
loss, was in full retreat, and Generals Grant and Buell lost no 
time in endeavoring to make it a rout. But want of cavalry, 
and the excellent position taken up by our guns, as also the 
fatigue of their own men, compelled them to be satisfied with 
what they had already achieved. Our troops withdrew, with 
much exertion, to their new positions. 

Many of our poor fellows, who had been incessantly en- 
gaged for nearly twenty hours, sank on the ground, utterly 
beaten by fatigue, and besmeared with blood, gunpowder, and 
dust. The loss sustained by some of the brigades and regi- 
ments appears almost incredible. Some regiments were so 
decimated that the remnants had to be at once incorporated 
into other regiments. 

Our greatest loss was, however, in general officers. First 
on the list stands the name of our commander, Albert Sidney 
Johnston : as we have already stated, he fell whilst leading his 
men to the attack. He was struck in the leg by a musket ball. 
He continued to give some instructions to his aide-de-camp, 



230 WAR PICTUEES. 

Harris, ex-Governor of Tennessee, and when the latter return- 
ed from executing the order, he found the General sitting like 
a corpse on his saddle. "In Heaven's name!" exclaimed 

-Harris, " I hope you are not wounded." "I believe I am 
dying," said Johnston, and almost at the same moment he fell 

-dead from his horse. The next name on this black list is that 
of ex-Governor Johnston, of Kentucky, who commanded the 
troops of that State. He was struck by three bullets almost 
at the same moment, and fell to the ground. Some of his 
officers rushed up to help him, but he ordered them back to 
their men, and to leave him to die alone. His body was 
found subsequently, after a long search, scarcely recognizable, 
amongst a heap of dead and wounded. Brigadier-General 
Glodden was killed with his horse by a ball from a rifled gun. 
Major-General Cheatham received a mortal wound, after hav 
ing had three horses previously shot under him. Major-General 
Clark was also mortally wounded. Generals Hindman, B. 
R. Johnston, and Bower were severely wounded, and render 
ed incapable of service for a long time to come. So great 
had been the casualties on both sides, that there was not a 
house within ten miles round but was full of wounded sol- 
diers. Corinth was one great hospital, and straggling wound- 
ed men continued daily to drop in, though many poor fellows 
died on the road. To add to all this misery, the weather be- 
came fearfully cold, with a strong north wind blowing, which 
proved the death of many a poor, wounded soldier. 

Our loss in men in this memorable battle amounted, 
according to the first rough return, to 2,400 killed, 10,000 
wounded (chiefly severely), and 2,000 to 3,000 missing, mak- 
ing a total loss of nearly 15,000 men. 

Indeed, the fearful slaughter which took place at this bat- 
tle entitles it to a marked place in military records, for, fear- 
ful as was our loss, that of the enemy was as great, if not 
still greater. These sad results prove incontestably what enor- 
mous sacrifices a powerful people is capable of making, when 



RESULTS OF THE BATTLE, 231 

it fancies it is combating for its rights and for its existence as 
a nation, however delusive may be that impression. 

The troops on our side were chiefly from the States of 
Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Louisiana, and 
Arkansas. Their conduct during the battle places them on 
the same level as that of the best European troops, and, 
although a portion of the reserve did neglect its duty, and, 
instead of helping their comrades, took to pillaging the ene- 
my's camp, that isolated act does not in the. slightest degree 
tarnish the blood-stained laurels earned by their gallant com- 
rades in that fine army, which so nobly performed its duty 
toward its own Government that it earned even the admira- 
tion of the enemy. 

It is, at the same time, but just to pay a tribute of admi- 
ration to the troops of the enemy's army, and to their generals, 
Grant, Buell, Sherman, Nelson, and others. It was truly no 
small task for the conqueror of Forts Henry and Donelson 
to have to sustain, with his comparatively small army, the 
Confederate attack ; and it was a critical moment for him 
when the whole of Prentiss's division had, despite their bra- 
very, to lay down their arms. 

After this sanguinary two days' battle, the Federal army, 
under Generals Grant and Buell, after their hard-earned vic- 
tory, greatly needed rest, and, consequently, they were unable 
to hinder Beauregard from maintaining his position at Cor- 
inth, where, being unmolested, he set to work to reorganize 
his army. 

If this battle was not attended by any great results to the 
advantage of the United States, the consequences were, never- 
theless, important, as it convinced the Confederate troops that 
their opponents, whether in Missouri or Virginia, or anywhere 
else, were foes not to be despised. Another consequence of 
some importance to the enemy was that they got possession 
of the western frontier of the States of Georgia and of Alaba- 
ma, which allowed them to make raids as far as Huntsville 



232 WAR PICTURES. 

and Decatur, and thus enabled them to parade their successes 
before that portion of the Southern States. 

General Beauregard, having set actively to work at Cor- 
inth to reorganize his army, was most ably seconded in his 
efforts by his aide-de-camp. Colonel Prince de Polignac. The 
active part taken by this latter officer on the day of the battle, 
in which he displayed the bravery of a true French soldier, 
ought to have procured for him a special notice in Beauregard's 
report to President Jefferson Davis : why it was not done, can 
only be attributed to an aversion to render justice to a foreign- 
er, attributed to the Southerners, who are jealous of any one 
else sharing their own glory. 

In a short time large bodies of fresh troops joined us from 
the more distant Southern States. The troops under Charles 
Van Dorn excited especial attention. They had hastened up 
from Arkansas to fight for the cause of the South. Other 
troops from Missouri followed, under General Price, their 
favorite commander, and were received with great rejoicings. 
Thus powerfully reinforced. General Beauregard soon assem- 
bled another fine army, with the help of which he hoped, ere 
long, to try once more his fortune in the field. 



STATE OF AFFAIRS IN KICHMOND. 288 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

SURRENDER OF CAPE HATTERAS. 

State of affairs in Riolimond — High price of provisions— General "Winder— Desti- 
tution in Rlolimond — Tlie blockade — Surrender of Fort Hatteras. 

During the winter of 1862, the Government of the United 
States displayed the greatest activity. It had increased its 
fleet to such an extent as to he able to blockade all the South- 
ern ports. Whilst the Federal troops were provided with 
everything which they required, and were thus enabled to 
withstand all the severities of the winter, our troops, on the 
other hand, especially the army on the Potomac, began to 
feel the inconvenient effects of the blockade. All those ar- 
ticles which the soldier so much needs for his comfort and 
health, gradually fell short, or were only to be had at prices 
so exorbitant that he could not afford to procure them. The 
non-combatant citizens took advantage of so favorable ati op- 
portunity to turn a penny, at the cost of the defenders of their 
country, and at Richmond the prices of provisions rose daily 
to such a height that many a father of a family looked forward 
with great anxiety to the future. More particularly, meat, 
vegetables, butter, and lard were so extremely dear that, in 
the hospitals, it became necessary to place the sick on half 
rations. The Provost-Marshal at Richmond, General Winder, 
issued a regulation, fixing the market prices, and imposing a 
heavy fine upon all who exceeded them. Mattei-s, neverthe- 



284 "WAR PICTURES. 

less, grew rather worse than better ; the farmers preferred 
remaming at home and keepmg back their produce, rather 
than sell it at a scanty profit ; and as they had to pay fabulous 
prices for articles needed by themselves, such as tea, sugar, 
<Ssc., the Provost-Marshal was obliged at last to withdraw his 
regulations, and so the farmers were again enabled to sell 
their provisions at their own prices. Every other article of 
food rose in proportion ; tea and sugar became luxuries out 
of the reach of the majority ; instead of coffee, burnt rye was • 
used ; milk rose to extravagant prices, as it was most wanted 
in the hospitals. No beer was allowed to be brewed, and 
what little remained on hand could not be obtained except by 
means of a medical certificate. Sickness prevailed to a great 
extent on the Potomac as well as in the interior of Virginia, 
and thousands of invalid sol.diers were brought to Richmond 
to receive medical aid in the hospitals. Here again great 
misery was occasioned by the scarcity of medicines. All such 
stores were spoilt, and it was impossible to procure a further 
supply ; thus hundreds died continually from the sheer want 
of proper remedies. 

A report was spread at this time that a Federal squadron 
had sailed from the Northern ports for the purpose of attack- 
ing some point upon our coast, and in a few days we received 
the news of the fall of Fort Hatteras. This blow, although it 
did not fall quite unexpectedly upon us, nevertheless made a 
deep and painful impression upon the peoj)le of Richmond, as 
it proved to them that the Government of the United States 
was not only resolved to maintain a vigorous blockade, but 
was bent on gaining a footing on some part of our coast. 
The Government at Richmond, thereupon, bestirred itself, 
• and Mr. Benjamin, the Secretary of War, took counsel with 
Generals Wise and Henningsen, as to the adoption of measures 
best calculated to meet the emergency. 



EOANOKE ISLAND. 235 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

SURRENDER OF ROANOKE ISLAND 

General Wise ordered to Roanoke Island — General Henningsen's report to the 
Government — Neglect shown toward Wise's legion — General Wise proceeds 
to Richmond — Interview with the Secretary of War — Arrival of the hostile 
fleet — Bombardment of Fort Barton — Sinking of the Confederate steamers 
Curlew and Forest— Abandonment of the works — Death of Captain Wise and 
surrender of the forts. 

As already observed in the preceding chapter, a squadron of 
the United States navy had succeeded in gaining a footing at 
Fort Hatteras, thereby securing a point from whence further 
offensive operations could be carried on against us. Although 
we were kept well informed by our agents of the plans of the 
Federal Government — which afforded us, in most cases, time 
to concert the best means for counteracting them — yet, we 
had the misfortune to possess a Secretary of War quite un- 
fitted to hold so important a post. Now that North Carolina 
was threatened, and it became necessary to take the most 
active and energetic measures to oppose the enemy, Mr. Ben- 
jamin resolved to send General Wise to Roanoke Island ; 
being glad of the opportunity of intrusting to the general a 
post which he Avell knew was, through his own neglect, in 
such a plight as to afford to its commandant but little scope 
for any display of military skill, still less for making a suc- 
cessful defence. Both the Secretary of War and President 
Davis were not sorry thus to get rid of Generals Wise and 



236 WAR PICTTJEES. 

Henningsen ; dreading the influence of those officers, especially 
of the former, on the minds of the people. But it may be 
doubted whether either the Secretary of War or the Presi- 
dent desired to give General Wise a command in which that 
distinguished soldier would have any chance of success ; well 
knowing his energetic character, they were convinced that if 
he achieved any great success in the field he would exei'cise 
an irresistible influence over the whole army. The other 
generals of the Confederate army had always been supplied, 
on making application, with whatever number of guns, horses, 
and warlike stores, &c. they deemed necessary ; but Wise's 
requisitions on such points were never heeded : on the con- 
trary, the heads of the Government seemed bent on placing 
him in a dilemma, and he thus found himself under the neces- 
sity of making good the negligence of the officials from his 
own resources. The same course of conduct was adopted to- 
ward General Henningsen. Instead of giving him an im- 
portant command, they persisted in selecting seme favorite 
officer, however deficient he might have been in any kind of 
military talent, but who, in the estimation of the heads of the 
Government, was deemed a far more valuable man if he hap- 
pened to possess personal influence in the South. Henningsen 
was looked upon in the light of a stranger ; and it was feared 
that his upright, manly character might one day prove an 
embarrassing obstruction to the Government officials. 

General Wise was, as already stated, ordered by the Sec- 
retary of War to take the command of Roanoke Island. He 
was, moreover, to increase his legion to the strength of 10,000 
men, and to proceed to Albemarle Sound, and after taking 
possession of Roanoke Island, to oppose the further advance 
of the enemy. General Wise was assured that for more 
than six months Captain Selden of the engineers had been ac- 
tively employed in placing the island in a fit state of defence, 
and that the works were so far advanced that all that re- 
mained to be done was to get the guns into position ; that the 



KOANOKE ISLAND. 237 

island was well supplied with provisions, and that he would 
find in the flotilla of the Confederacy, cruising in those waters 
under the orders of Commander F. Lynch, a powerful auxil- 
iary to prevent any further advance of the enemy. Wise and 
Henningsen were not the men to hesitate ; the former set to 
•work at once to organize the infantry, whilst Henningsen took 

charge of the artillery ; and Colonel E had the cavalry 

placed under his orders. 

General Wise and his associates set actively to work to 
bring the legion to the required strength of 10,000 men ; re- 
cz'uiting was resorted to, but they had scarcely received their 
instructions when their difficulties commenced. Eeeruits were 
not forthcoming. In vain did General Wise solicit the Secre- 
tary of War, on the ground that the interests of North Caro- 
lina were at stake, to let him have a portion of the troops 
then encamped by thousands near Eichmond, that he might be 
enabled to conamence his march without delay, so as not to 
be exposed to the chances of a battle without being adequately 
prepared for such a contingency. But General Wise had to 
deal with a man who was determined to follow his own views. 
The Secretary replied to his earnest solicitation by expressing 
his sincere regret that he could not help him in this matter, 
even had it been in his power to do so ; the President, who 
exercised great control over the War Department, having al- 
ready decided that all the troops assembled at Richmond were 
to serve on the Potomac and Tennessee. He, therefore, en- 
treated General Wise not to make any further delay, but to 
assume the command of Roanoke Island at once, as the news 
had been received that another hostile expedition was in prep- 
aration at Baltirnore and Philadelphia under General Burn- 
side, the object of which was the capture of Roanoke Island ; 
that if the enemy succeeded in forcing the entrance of Albe- 
marle Sound, and once got possession of the granaries of 
North Carolina, it would be a very difficult task to drive 
them out again, To dispel any further doubts on the part of 



238 AVAK rioruEKs. 

General Wise, the Secretary of War promised him that in- 
structions should be sent to General linger, at Portsmouth, 
to give liim every assistance in his power. These various 
promises, none of ■\vhieh were ever fulfilled, induced General 
Wise to hasten his departure, to take couimand of Boanoke 
Island. Before starting, however, he held a sort of council of 
war at his headquarters to consider the condition of the legion 
under his orders. 

At this conference, General Ilenningsen stated distinctly 
that, owing to the neglect ot' the Secretary of War during 
the campaign in Virginia, the legion A\as Avanting in nearly 
every tiling "which it required, and had thereby sntlered in its 
organization and ctliciency so much, that the fruits of a five 
months' campaign had been thrown away ; that, even now, 
though we had been six weeks in camp at Richmond, nothing 
had been done for the equipment of the troops of the legion : 
tJio batteries were still unprovided with liorses, and the mus- 
kets of the infantry scarcely fit for use. Whilst the War 
Department paid all due attention to the wants of other coi'ps, 
by providing them with etlicient arms, and throwing open to 
thcui all the resources at the disposal of the authorities, the 
legion had been tot^illy neglected ; and the Secretary of War 
had made it a point of always giving that corps the most dif- 
ficult AYork to do. This, indeed, might certainly be consid- 
ered as an honor, and would be eagerly accepted, if the legion 
could be satisfied that the Government appreciated the sacri- 
fices that were required of it ; but this, unfortunately, was 
not the case. It was only on the previous day, that the otfioer 
in command o( the cavalry had intbrnu\l him that as yet no 
Sivddles had been provided by the store department for the 
cavalry of Wise's legion, whilst a company of another body 
of horse, which had only just arrived at Ivichmond, was at 
once provided with them. Therefore, continued Generjil 
Ilenningsen, he was of the opinion that before undertaking 
tJie task committed to them, they should carefully consider 



wise's legion. 239 

the serious consequences which might result to the legion, and 
whie.'i might in fact (Jraw upon it the disfavor of the Govern- 
ment. He then proceeded to state that Captain Bolton, whom 
he had sent to inspect the condition of the defensive works at 
Roanoke Island, had sent him the following report : 

" The island is in anything but a satisfactory state of de- 
fence ; the works have been constructed with such an utter 
want of care and skill that they will scarcely be of any ser- 
vice. Of the twelve batteries which are put down upon the 
list furnished by the Secretary of War, there is only one that 
can be regarded as serviceable ; all the others are totally use- 
less. Moreover, the roads in Portsmouth are in such a bad 
condition that it will be difficult for the infantry to march 
along them, and for guns and wagons they are quite impracti- 
cable." 

This brief and clear report could not fail to cause much 
anxiety to all who heard it. General Henningses then hav- 
ing issued instructions to the various officers on whom the 
duty devolved, to exert themselves to provide for the prompt 
equipment and completion of the batteries, as well as that of 
the cavalry and infantry, left the meeting still engaged in 
warm debate. 

Before the departure of the legion, General Wise again 
made requisition on the Secretary of War, but in vain. Mr. 
Benjamin was not the man to be overawed ; he promised the 
general that everything that was possible should be done, and 
relying on this assurance, the latter was at last induced to 
make final preparations to proceed to his post. 

The first regiment of the legion, under Colonel Richard- 
son, commenced its march, followed by the regiments of An- 
derson, Tyler, and Green ; next came the first and second 
cavalry regiments and the park of artillery, the latter under 
the personal command of General Hemiingsen. The weather 
was execrable, and everything held out the prospect of a very 
disagreeable march. The columns advanced in dogged si- 



240 WAR PICTURES. 

lence, for the men were laboring under an impression that 
they were being sent on a desperate service, in which, cut off 
from all communication with the rest of the army, they 
would, in all probability, fall a prey to the enemy. At Pe- 
tersburg a mutinous feeling became evident amongst the 
troops, and the officer in command found it necessary to have 
two of the ringleaders shot as an example to the others. This 
act of strict discipline had a good efi'ect upon the men, and 
order was promptly restored. Notwithstanding the bad 
weather, the troops marched forward at a good pace, very few 
failing through ftxtigue. But on reaching Portsmouth our 
miseries commenced in good earnest ; General Huger, who 
was in command at that place, treated our officers and men 
with a sort of lofty' condescension ; he seemed, indeed, to look 
upon the whole legion as men beneath his notice. The troops 
Avere allotted the most miserable quarters, and no complaints 
or representations on our part were at all heeded by him. 
The Secretary of War had given a solemn assurance to Gene- 
ral Wise that he had sent instructions to the officer in .com- 
mand at Portsmouth to do everything he possibly could to 
aid the legion ; this promise was shamefully broken. To add 
to the general annoyances we experienced, General Henning- 
sen, who had been led to expect he could procure horses at 
Portsmouth for his artillery, found his hopes deceived. This 
I'endered his artillery almost useless, and the troops had, con- 
sequently, to proceed on their march without it. 

Generals Wise and Henningsen then held another confer- 
ence, which led to the following results : General Wise was 
to take command of all the infantry, and assume the com- 
mand of Roanoke Island as quickly as possible ; the defensive 
works were to be placed under the superintendence of Captain 
Bolton, of the engineers, and forthwith put in a proper state ; 
the cavalry was to take up cantonments on the shore of Albe- 
marle Sound ; whilst General Henningsen would do his ut- 
most to procure every requisite that was needed to render his 
artillei-y efficient. 



WISE'S LEGION. 241 

At the conclusion of this conference, the Generals separat- 
ed, and at the moment of taking leave, General Wise, on shaking 
his worthy associate Henningsen by the hand, could not re- 
frain from taking a foreboding view of the errand on which 
his friend was about to start. Smarting as he was under the 
effects of the broken promise of the Secretary of War, he turn- 
ed round in his saddle, to bestow a look of ill-concealed scorn, 
in the direction of Richmond — where he had been so grossly 
misled — and then started off, little suspecting that when he 
and Henningsen should meet again it would be as fugitives 
without their legion. 

Our cavalry now advanced under great difhculties through 
swampy ground to reach its intended cantonments on the 
shores of Albemarle Sound. Wise, meanwhile, with a heavy 
heart, pushed forward as quickly as he could, that no want of 
zeal on his part should be wanting in the service of his coun- 
try. Handing over the command of his troops to the chief 
of his staff, he hastened forward, accompanied by two or three 
officers only, that he might superintend in person the arrange- 
ments for the reception of his troops, and also assume the 
command of the whole district. Although suffering from fever, 
occasioned by the continued annoyance he had recently expe- 
rienced, he took no heed of his physician's advice to avoid ex- 
ertion, but performed the ordinary duties allotted to him with 
an energy and selfdenial that deserved a better reward. On 
reaching Elizabeth City that night, he immediately went on 
boai'd a small war steamer lying off the town, and was con- 
veyed to Roanoke Island, that he might learn from the officer 
in command the exact condition of the fortress. That officer's 
report was most unsatisfactory. According to Mr. Benjamin's 
representation, defensive works had been under preparation 
for the last six months ; the truth being that little or nothing 
had been done. On the following morning, the general was 
on horseback by daybreak ; and, accompanied by Captain 
Bolton, he made a survey of the island. 
11 



242 WAR PICTURES. 

There can Le no doubt that Eoanoke is the key to the 
northwest portion of the State of North Carolina ; it com- 
mands Albemarle Sound as well as Currituck, and is the only 
point which covers Norfolk. If placed in a proper state of 
defence, it is able to command no less than eight estuaries, 
four canals, and two railways ; moreover, it serves to pro- 
tect the richest and most important part of North Carolina ; 
and it is obvious that a stronghold of such value ought to have 
been specially cared for by the Secretary of War. Should the 
island fall into the hands of an enterprising enemy, General 
Huger, in command of the troops at Portsmouth, would be 
inevitably obliged to surrender with his troops, as all his 
means of retreat would be cut off, and we should be obliged 
ourselves to destroy our own ships to prevent them falling 
into the hands of the foe. The possession of Roanoke Island 
would give the enemy everything he could require to carry 
out an extensive plan of operations, and thereby cause the 
greatest danger to the Confederacy ; yet the Government at 
Richmond seemed to be completely ignorant of or indifferent 
to these obvious truths, and gave no attention whatever to the 
means for rendering this important place secure. Even Gen- 
eral Huger seemed to be unaware of the importance of his 
command, and made no preparations to meet the enemy, al- 
though every man of the garrison was aware that the destina- 
tion of the Federal naval and military forces under General 
Burnside was Roanoke Island. 

General Wise set to work with the most determined 
energy. On the east side of Fuller Shoals, he ordered a num- 
ber of large pallisades to be planted so as to stretch across 
from the shoals to the island, thus closing up one passage, and 
ordered a new post, Fort Barton, to be constructed in such a 
position as to command the sound. Commander Lynch placed 
a small flotilla at his service, and promised to keep him ac- 
curately informed by his cruisers of the enemy's movements. 
The news came at last that General Burnside, with the enemy's 



TEBATMENT OF GENEEAL WISE. 248 

fleet, had sailed, and might be expected shortly in Pamlico 
Sound. General Wise, upon receipt of this intelligence, has- 
tened back to Richmond in person, to point out to the Govern- 
ment the importance of firmly holding such a position as Roan- 
oke Island, and urging the necessity for their granting the 
support of the 20,000 men who were lying idle at Portsmouth 
under the orders of General Huger. All his representations 
were fruitless. Mr. Benjamin desired him in the most uncour- 
teous terms to return to his post, adding that they could not 
spare him any more troops, believing as they did that, under 
an able general, his force was quite strong enough to repulse 
an enemy three times his number. This unreasonable way 
of evading so urgent an appeal, rendered still more annoying 
by the ungracious tone in which it was conveyed, greatly irri. 
tated General Wise. To a few friends he confided what had 
taken place, and he must then have called to mind Henning- 
sen's warning words at the Richmond conference. Gifted by 
nature with an iron constitution, even that gave way under all 
the repeated annoyances he had undergone. On reaching 
Elizab'eth City, he was taken seriously ill, and desired to be 
conveyed in a litter, without delay, to Nagg's Head, a promon- 
tory opposite to Roaiioke Island, that he might be near his 
troops. Here he was seized with a violent fever, A climax 
to his sorrow and suffering was now at hand. The news was 
brought to him the following morning that Commander Lynch 
had received the information, through one of his gunboats, 
that the enemy's squadron was in sight. Commander Lynch ■ 
at the same time informed him that he would engage the ene- 
my, so as to keep them at bay as long as possible. To appre- 
ciate the general's distress of mind, it should be remembered 
that the defensive works on the island were not yet half finish- 
ed. The garrison of the fort consisted of the 8th and 31st 
regiments of the State of North Carolina, and one battalion 
of the 17th. As soon as General Wise received information 
of the approach of the enemy, he ordered up the two regi- 



244 WAR PICTUBES. 

ments of Anderson and Richardson, belonging to the legion, 
and as he was incapable of assuming the direct command of 
the place, he handed it over to Colonel Shaw. He despatched 
one of the war steamers immediately to Edenton, where 
General Henningsen was quartered with the artillery and cav- 
alry, with an order for him to come over at once to Roanoke 
Island, to take the chief command. But before this order 
reached Henningsen, the island was already in the hands of the 
enemy. 

On the 7th of February, 1862, the United States squad- 
ron of steamers and sailing vessels was reported in sight, and 
the Confederate flotilla, under Commander Lynch, sought 
shelter under the guns of the forts on the island. Lynch 
drew up his little fighting squadron iii line of battle at the 
entrance of the harbor to meet the enemy. It was a dull, 
foggy day. A small steamer sent out to watch the move- 
ments of the Federal ships, now came back at full speed, 
pursued by one of the enemy's gunboats, A 48-pound shot 
from Barton's battery, athwart the gunboat's deck, warned 
the commander that he had better not advance any farther. 
After firing a few shots at the fort, which did no damage, the 
gunboat turned back and rejoined the Federal fleet. Great 
activity was now displayed in Barton's battery, and more 
guns were brought into position. About noon the fog partially 
cleared off, and the Federal fleet appeared in view. Their 
ships at once opened fire, which was briskly returned by the 
fort. Ere long, however, two of Commander Lynch's ves- 
sels, the Curlew and Forest, were sunk by the enemy's guns, 
which disaster induced him to sail away with his remaining 
vessels, and leave Roanoke Island to its fate. During the 
night the Confederates worked hard to improve their defences, 
and to bring more guns into position,, under the superintend- 
ence of Major Schermerhorn and Commanders Kinney and 
Selden. It was impossible to convey any information either 
to Nagg's Head or to General Henningsen, as the enemy's 



FALL OF KOAKOKE ISLAKD. 245 

cruisers cut off all means of communication. At daybreak 
next morning the enemy reopened fire, which was quickly 
responded to by our batteries. Colonel Shaw, upon whom 
the command had devolved, soon became convinced that the 
defence was hopeless. He, therefore, ordered the guns to be 
spiked, and with his troops withdrew to the north side of the 
island. The enemy continued to pour shot and shell into 
Fort Barton, which, in less than two hours, became a total 
ruin. Colonel Shaw, in spite of the entreaties of his officers, 
resolved to surrender. The news that Captain Wise, son of 
the general, had been killed, confirmed him in this resolution, 
and he sent one of his aide-de-camps to stipulate for the terms 
of capitulation. The fort was, however, surrendered uncon- 
ditionally on the 8th February. General Wise's grief on 
receiving the news of the surrender of the fort and also o& 
the death of his son can be more easily conceived than de- 
scribed. I was now charged with despatches to Richmond, to 
announce the surrender of Roanoke Island at headquarters. 



246 WAR PICTURES 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

GENERAL "WISE. 

Anxiety at Riclimond, consequent on the surrender of Roanoke Island — -General 
Wise claims the body of his son — Great grief of the father — He sends to Con- 
gress a formal accusation against the Secretary of War and General Huger— A 
Committee appointed hy Congresa adopts his vie"ws — Want of confidence in 
the Government — Burnside releases the prisoners of war. 

Great excitement pi'evailed at Richmond respecting the fate 
of Roanoke Island. All sorts of rumors were in circulation. 
Every one knew well enough that the island had been sur- 
rendered, but the most contradictory statements respecting 
the defence passed from mouth to mouth, or appeared in the 
newspapers. It was reported, for instance, that a great battle 
had taken place ; that the engagement commenced by our 
small squadron under Commander Lynch, who, after he had 
succeeded in sinking half the enemy's fleet, was compelled at 
last to yield to superior numbers ; and that, in order to pre- 
vent his own ships falling into the enemy's hands, he had 
blown himself up in the air ; that the enemy, provoked at 
this determined resistance, had stormed Roanoke Island and 
put half our men to the sword. The more absurd these 
statements were, the more eagerly were they believed ; and, 
as the greater portion of Wise's legion consisted of men from 
Richmond and its vicinity, the excitement in the town was the 
more intense. Notwithstanding my assurance that Colonel 
Shaw, to avoid bloodshed, had capitulated — that our loss con- 



FUNERAL OF CAPTAIN WISE. 247 

« 

sisted of only eight killed and thirty-one wounded — no one 
would believe me. All thought it far more probable that the 
slaughter had been immense, that no man was left to tell the 
tale, and that Richmond would have to go into general 
mourning. 

President Jefferson Davis and Mr. Benjamin, his Secretary 
of War, held long conferences together ; the subject of which 
was, most probably, General Wise and his legion, 

I received an order from General Wise to join him at 
Portsmouth, as he wished me to apply for the body of his 
son, and also to take a temporary command. Burnside im- 
mediately complied with General Wise's request, and issued 
the necessary orders to give up the body of the captain to the 
brave old general. In a small inlet of the bay, on board a 
Federal war steamer, the coffin containing the body was 
brought to us. The officers and men spoke to us in the most 
friendly terms, and informed us that every attention had been 
paid to Captain Wise until he breathed his last. I shook 
hands with the officer who had landed, thanking him in the 
general's name. He took a courteous leave of me, and his 
boat was soon gliding along toward his steamer with measur- 
ed strokes. I stood for a few moments on the shore, watch- 
ing his progress, and then returned in a mournful mood in 
charge of the body of poor Captain Wise. On reaching 
Portsmouth all the church bells tolled, and a procession was 
formed by -the numerous friends of the deceased. At the 
porch of the church we made a halt, awaiting the arrival of 
General Wise. With bowed head and faltering step, the old 
general approached, leaning on the arm of another of his 
sons, the Rev. — Wise, and accompanied also by his son-in- 
law. Dr. Lyons. Evincing great emotion, he went up to the 
coffin, and ordered the lid to be raised, that he might once 
more behold the features of his lamented son. The brother 
and brother-in-law of the departed could no longer suppress 
their grief, and burst into tears. The old general took the 



248 WAE PICTUEES. 

» 

dead man's hand in his own, and exclaimed, in a tone of an- 
guish "which startled all present : -"You have died for me; 
you have died for your father ! " And large tears rolled down 
his cheeks. " He died for me ! he died for me ! " he repeated 
in broken accents, and then fell insensible to the ground. 

I never could have supposed this man to be capable of 
showing so much feeling. I remembered seeing him, some 
years previously, in his capacity as Governor of the State of 
Virginia, sign the death warrants of John Brown and Cook 
with a firm hand, though his own daughter, on her knees be- 
fore him, with tears in her eyes, besought him to pardon 
them ; when Cook's brother-in-law, formerly Governor of 
Indiana, who had come all the way to Richmond to intercede 
for him, pleaded also in vain. I remember it well. Wise 
took out his cigar case, and turning to me, " Do you smoke, 
Colonel ? " he said ; " these are good Havanas." He lit one 
of them, and then addressing the suppliants, said, in a stern 
voice — " This man has forfeited his life to the law, and the 
law must have its course." And now, to see that that heart 
of stone could melt, to see that giant mind prostrated by all 
that it had undergone, made a powerful impression upon me. 
More dead than alive, the stricken sire was taken away from 
the coffin of his son, and removed in a carriage to Richmond. 

The affair of Roanoke Island created the most indescribable 
sensation, not only in the city of Richmond but through the 
whole South. The people began to feel that something must 
be wrong at headquarters, and a strong feeling of animosity 
grew up against the President, and his confidential advisers. 
For two days the effigy of a black coffin with a rope upon the 
lid might be seen conspicuously displayed near the residence 
of the President, bearing a very ominous inscription. Despite 
all the efforts of the police, the perpetrators of this scurrility 
could not be discovered. It was decided in the Senate that a 
special committee should be formed to inquire into all the 



PROTEST OF GENEKAL WISE. 249 

circumstances connected witli the attack and defence of 
Roanoke Island. It was thought that this was due to the 
reputation of the army. Meantime the state of health of 
General Wise was so precarious that the news of his death 
was almost hourly expected. But his strong frame enabled 
him gradually to recover, and he was soon well enough to 
make an official report on all that had occurred. He assem- 
bled his staff .at his bedside and dictated a formal protest 
against the conduct of the President, of Mr. Benjamin, and 
of General Huger, This protest was couched in modei-ate 
but firm language, but contained such unanswerable proofs of 
the failings of the Government that even the obstinate Secre- 
tary of War m.ust have been astounded when he read it. 

On the 3d of March, General Wise forwarded a formal 
accusation to the Congress. Ho stated that he had willingly 
accepted the command of Roanoke Island, but that after satis- 
. fying himself by a personal inspection of the defenceless state 
it was in, he reported to that effect to the Secretary of War, 
pointing out to him the consequences that must be expected 
to result, as the island was the key to the whole coast ; and. 
that shortly afterward he informed the Government of tho 
approach of a hostile squadron consisting of twenty-four ships, 
quite capable of destroying all the batteries on the island 
within twelve hours, with the distinct avowal that the garri- 
son was not in sufficient strength to withstand the enemy. 
This report, as we have previously shown, had been treated 
with contempt, no notice having beeii taken of it, and his per- 
sonal appeal to the Secretary of War had met with no better 
success, although at that interview he took great pains to 
demonstrate the necessity for having reinforcements as well 
as supplies of ammunition without delay. That, in short, all 
his efforts to effect his object had been fruitless ; while an 
effectual check was given to any further remonstrance on his 
part uy the following peremptory order, brought to him by 
an aide-de-camp from the Secretary of War : 
11* 



260. WAR PICTUIIES. 

" Office of Secketary op War, 
"■January 22c?, 1862. 
" General Wise is ordered to proceed at once to his post 

at Roanoke Island. 

" JuDAH P. Benjamin, 

" Secretary of War." 

General Wise concluded by stating, that in pursuance of 
this order he left, al though fully convinced he had been sacri- 
ficed. The result we have already shown. 

Such was the purport of the accusation which was laid 
before the Congress, and that body immediately ordered the 
matter to be referred to a special Committee of Inquiry. 
The result was that the Secretary of War was made responsi- 
ble for the defeat of the Confederate troops at Roanoke Island, 
as it appeared that defeat might have been avoided if the 
representations of Generals Wise and Henningsen had been 
attended to. 

" If blame attaches to any one (said the report of the com- 
mittee), in this matter, it ought to fall upon the Secretary of 
War and General Huger." The committee further proposed 
that they should both be dismissed, and that a vote of thanks 
should be passed to Generals Wise and Henningsen for their 
conduct. 

President Jefferson Davis and Mr. Benjamin had little 
expected such a result, and it even startled the public mind 
not a little. Confidence in the measures of the Government 
was already on the wane. The President, nevertheless, pro- 
moted Mr. Benjamin to the post of Secretary of State of his 
Cabinet, and, this had the effect of still more weakening the 
trust of the people in the Government. 

Fourteen days after the capitulation of Roanoke Island, 
General Burnside released all the prisoners of war on their 
taking an oath not to serve against the United States. 



BATTLE OF NBWBEKN. 251 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

THE BATTLE OF NEWBERN. 

My mission to Raleigh, North Carolina — Generals Clark and Martin — General 
Branch and Colonel Spreil— My inspection of the cavalry at Newbern — A trap- 
per's adventures — Burnside's attack of Wewhern — Conduct of the cavalry — 
Railway bridge destroyed— Retreat on Raleigh — Dismissal of Generals Branch 
and Gattlin. • 

AlS soon as the men of our legion had arrived at Richmond, I 
received orders to proceed to Raleigh, the seat of the Gov- 
ernment of North Carolina, to concert measures with Gover- 
nor Clark for the fortification of the coast, as the new Secretary 
of War was of opinion that General Burnside, after the easy 
conquest of Roanoke Island, would lose no time in attacking 
Beaufort and Newbern, with the viev/ of acquiring possession 
of the whole of the North Carolina line of coast, 

I found General Clark an upright soldier-like man. After 
listening to all the details connected with the surrender of 
Roanoke Island he sent for the officer in command of the 
troops in North Carolina. That officer, a gallant veteran 
with only one arm — having lost the other at the battle of 
Matamoras, in Mexico — soon after made his appearance, 
when the Governor requested us to make a general inspection 
of the coast. After I had taken my leave of the Governor, 
General Martin, the .officer above alluded to, took me with 
him to his headquarters that we might concert together fur- 
ther proceedings. Here I was introduced to his aide-de-camp, 



252 WAR PICTURES. 

ft Scotchman, wlio liud only recently joined the Confederate 
army. Wo formed iv very cheerful party, and freely dis- 
cussed the general state of aflairs in America. I expressed 
the liopo that my new acquaintance would live to see peace 
restored on that continent — a hope that was never fulllUed, 
for ho fell at Baton liongo. After inspecting the coast de- 
fences, General Martin directed me to proceed to the two 
most important points of defence along the coast, with orders 
to send him a report of tlieir condition. I proceeded forth- 
with to Goldsborough, which commands four lines of railways. 
Here I was introduced to General Gattlin, whoso manners I 
found anything luit pleasing ; he spoke, too, of the enemy 
with contempt, lie had a considerable force under his or- 
ders, but the state oi' his (rdops showed a great want of disci- 
pline. From Goldsl)orougli I proceeded to Nowbern, at the 
railway Station of which place I was met by the commanding 
officers of tlie cavalry force quartered there, and I then pro- 
ceeded to pay my respects to General Bi-anch, the chief odicer 
in command. 

On the following day I accompanied the general and liis 
aide-de-camp on a visit of inspectitni (o the forts which de- 
fended Nowbern. Colonel Spreil, the aide-de-camp, belonged 
to the 2d cavalry regiment, and led the way at a rattling pace 
over the Hne railway bridge which her^.^ spans the river Neuse, 
and we reaeluHl the forts jjtist as the men were going through 
their drill, Fort Thompson, which, according to the gene- 
ral's idea, was a. masterpiece as a defensive work, mounted 
fifteen 64-po\mders, two of which wore rifled. Tlie ofticer in 
command of the battery was not up to Ids work, but felt con- 
vinced that if tlie enemy's fleet should make its appearance, 
its commander would very soon manage to establish liis head- 
quarters at Newbei'u. Fort Ellis was not completed, luit 
nevertlieless, it mounted nine guns, also ()l-piMU\ders. The 
works were carritnl on liere just as if no danger was appre- 
hended. The commander of the place was an easy-going sort 



A DINNER AT CAMP. 253 

of man, smoking his pipe by his fireside, and apparently car- 
ing as little about his general and stafi' as he did about Burn- 
side and his fleet. This man's coolness and imconcern were 
quite astounding. " If my comrades," said ho, " should really 
attempt to defend the place, I will stand by them ; should 
they run away, I am not far from the bridge, so I may as 
well smoke my pipe quietly, and not bother myself by an- 
ticipating the course of events." 

Wc then proceeded to Fort Thompson, where wo found 
the commandant practising his men at the guns. My as- 
tonishment, I must own, was aroused at the precision the ar- 
tillerymen consistently displayed in not hitting their mark ; 
and I came to the conclusion that if General Burnsidc had 
only the slightest notion of how matters stood, ho would at 
once make sail for Newbern, and take the place without i-isk- 
ii.ig the loss of a man. 

Exhausted by our long ride, I requested General Branch 
to accompany mc to the cavalry encampment, where I had 
been invited to dine. General Brancli offered his arm to the 
colonel's wife, and the other officers followed. As long as 
dinner lasted, which, by the by, was a very good one, all went 
on smoothly ; but as soon as the champagne went round, 
every man present was eager to make a speech. Americans, 
I have observed, arc all fond of displaying their oratorical 
powers on festive occasions. After a speech of some half an 
hour's duration. General Branch proposed a toast in honor of 
the Confederacy, which was responded to in a speech scarcely 
inferior in length, by the colonel of the 2d regiment of cavalry, 
in the course of which ho dilated in glowing terms on the 
matchless gallantry of his troops — their prowess being such 
as to throw the deeds of the Greeks and Romans into the 
shade ; according to him the whole corps was ready to die, 
if needful, to the last man. I need not adH that this speech 
was received with tumultuous applause. " Gentlemen," con- 
cluded the gallant colonel, rising from his scat, " let us make 



254 WAR PICTUEES. 

Newbern a second Sebastopol — before the walls of which the 
enemy must peiish ! " Cheers resomided on all sides ! " Yes ! 
Newbern shall be a second Sebastopol ! " Genei-al Branch 
then rose and made another speech, and stated that his guest, 
Colonel Estvan, had, with 10,000 men, defended Sebastopol 
against all the combined forces of England and France ! The 
noise increased. Colonel Spreil was again on his legs, and 
said that with 10,000 of his own brave fellows he would have 
taken Sebastopol in fourteen days, and not have left one stone 
upon another. 

I was now called upon to make a speech in reply. " My 
friends," said I, " how would you go to work if General 
Branch, with 10,000 of his best men, undertook the defence 
of Sebastopol, and Colonel Spreil, with 10,000 of his cav- 
alry attacked it 1 What would be the result 1 " '• They 
stared with astonishment at these words, and I sat down, 
curious to see how they would solve their own problem. 
Another subject was then broached, but I soon perceived that 
I had lost their favor. At last the general rose to depart, 
and we returned to Newbern with our small staff. 

On the following day I visited the cavalry encampment, 
to inspect the two regiments there. I found them a fine body 
of men, but as regarded their weapons, there was much room 
for improvement ; a great portion of the troopers were armed 
with heavy carbines with bayonets, in addition to a sword and 
revolver. 

When on horseback, fully accoutred, one of these men 
had the appearance of a movable arsenal ; probably the colo- 
nel did not deem himself safe unless his men were thus armed 
to the teeth. The horses, too, were in a very bad condition ; 
while the manoeuvring was indifferent, and the men seemed 
to have no idea of sword exercise, each man using his weapon 
as best suited his own notions. So I returned to Ealeigh 
anything but satisfied with the result of my inspection. Be- 
fore waiting upon the Governor, I solicited an interview with 



GENERAL MARTIN. 255 

General Martin, and was received by him with a bland smile. 
" Well, Colonel," said he, " what do you think of the troops 1 " 
" If," I replied, " they can fight as well as they talk, we need 
not be under the slightest anxiety for the safety of our coasts." 
" You ai-e right," he replied ; " all that they can do is to talk, 
and that I fear will be our ruin. If General Burnside only 
knew how to turn his recent advantage to good account, he 
would be in the possession of our whole line of coast within 
a fortnight. Look here," he continued, as he spread a map 
on the table, " if Newbern and Beaufort are taken, Burnside 
will push on to Goldsborough and Weldon by a flank move- 
ment, which will place our main roads of traffic and railways 
in his hands, and our army will be split in two. His fleet 
will attack Wilmington, and our forts, Caswell, Smithville, 
and Fisher, luider Commander Iverson, will have to surrender. 
All these gentlemen, with the exception of Commander Iver- 
son, who formerly served in the United States army, have no 
idea of the importance of the posts which they hold, and, be- 
lieve me, it is a most difficult task to make them aware of 
their duties. Often whole companies will leave a battle field 
with their commanders, not from cowardice, but simply be- 
cause they fancy they have had enough fighting for the day, 
and that others should have their turn also. When you re- 
turn to Richmond, Colonel, I wish you would seriously repre- 
sent to the Government the necessity that exists for sending 
out new commanders to all the forts along the coast, as well 
as some able engineer officers ; the cavalry might be very 
well spared from Newbern, and that force replaced by some 
efficient battalions of infantry. We also stand in need of a 
few thousand stand of arms. If this is not done, I look upon 
Newbern as lost, and Goldsborough, Weldon, and Wilming- 
ton, also. Having frankly given you my opinion, I recom- 
mend you now to pay your respects to Govern'or Clark." 

After taking a cordial leave of the general, I jjroceeded to 
pay the Governor a visit. He happened to be out, but I ac- 



256 WAR PICTUEBS. 

cepted the invitation of his secretary to take a stroll with 
him outside the town. As ^Ye went along, this amiable old 
gentleman also opened his mind to me. " Tlais unfortunate 
war," he said, "can never have a happy termination; all 
revolutions end badly, and I fear this will be the case with 
ours. The people generally have never been consulted by the 
leaders of the movement, and I suspect that many amongst 
them are simply working upon the minds of the people for 
their own ends. I grieve, when I think how many loyal 
Unionists have been compelled to pretend to show a feeling 
of sympathy for a Government which, hitherto, has only 
brought misery upon them." 

About two miles outside the town, we met a tall, impos- 
ing looking man, dressed in leathern clothes, with moccasons 
on his feet. Two revolvers and a bowie knife were stuck in 
his belt, together with a tomahawk, while on his shoulder he 
carried a rifle of unusual length. His hair and beard seemed 
quite unacquainted with the use of a comb, and altogether, his 
appearance was remarkable. This prairie trapper passed by 
us with a polite "good evening." As we turned round to 
look after him, with some curiosity, he suddenly stopped, 
leaned upon his rifle, and stared hard at my companion, whose 
countenance suddenly betrayed great emotion. " Father ! 
father ! " exclaimed the trapper, as he rushed into my friend's 
arms and met his embrace. Fourteen years previously he 
had left his home to seek his fortune in the far West, and 
since then no tidings had been heard of him. After the father 
had presented to me in due form the son whom he had sup- 
posed dead long ago, the latter related his adventures to us. 

He had been to Oregon, where he tried his hand as a gold 
digger and hunter. When he heard of the civil war between 
the North and South, he resolved to return home ; but having 
no money, he performed the journey of 8,000 miles on foot, 
from Oregon to North Carolina, over mountains, and through 
forests and prairies ; having, on his venturous journey, en- 



APPROACH OF THE ENEMY. 267 

coxmtei'ed wild beasts and ' hostile tribes ; and at last, on 
reaching the flrontier of Missouri, he was made prisoner by a 
detachment of dragoons under Colonel Sturgis, but who, on 
hearing his story, allowed him to proceed home unmolested, 
influenced, no doubt, by the reflection, that as the Almighty 
had, in so wonderful a manner, watched over the safety of this 
man in his perilous journey homeward, it was not for man to 
stop him in the fulfilment of his object. The news of the re- 
turn of this long-absent wanderer from the remote region of 
Oregon on foot, spread like wildfire through the town, and 
the whole population crowded round him to hear his adven- 
tures. He did not remain long in his father's house. A com- 
mission as captain in a regiment of infantry was granted him, 
and the poor fellow was shot in action shortly afterward, 
and thus his ardent wish to die for his country was accom- 
plished. 

On my return to Richmond, I delivered my despatches, 
but was soon summoned back to Raleigh. On my arrival 
there, I was informed that General Burnside had already col- 
lected his fleet, with the apparent intention of attacking New- 
bern. I started accordingly at once for General Branch's 
camp, to see what steps he had taken for the defence of the 
place. At Goldsborough the most extraordinary rumors 
were in circulation. Thus General Burnside was said to have 
attacked Beaufort, and, as had been reported after the surren- 
der of Roanoke Island, had put the garrison to the sword, 
after a valiant defence. As I proceeded on my way, I found 
the excitement had increased. At Kingston I left the railway, 
and procured horses, and rode on as fast as I could, accom- 
panied only by an aide-de-camp. 

As I approached Newbern, the distant roar of cannon be- 
came more and more distinct. Suddenly a number of horse- 
men galloped past me in full flight, and amongst them I fancied 
I could discern the gallant colonel with whom I had dined not 
long ago. He gave me a hurried nod and passed on. On 



268 WAR PICTURES. 

reaching Newbern I did my best to rally the men, and so fai 
succeeded, that they sunk one of the enemy's gunboats, and 
blew up the forts, that they might not fall into hostile hands, 
and thereby impede the movements of our troops. A 24- 
pound gun just then burst, and the fragments fell amongst my 
men, who forthwith took to their heels. Newbern I found 
looking bad enough. 

General Branch had secured a railway carriage for him- 
self, and started off inland. Troops without their officers 
passed me in confusion, and throwing away their arms, rushed 
across the bridge. They all told wonderful stories of the 
feats performed by their respective regiments. According to 
their account they had all fought like so many devils, but the 
force of the enemy not being less than 100,000 men, they had 
no chance against them. The fact is, General Branch had run 
away, and all discipline was at an end. I crossed the bridge 
and endeavored to restore some kind of order amongst the 
troops, but in vain. The 19th regiment of infantry, under 
Colonel Burgwine, now came up ; I asked him to throw out 
his men as skirmishers, in order to protect the baggage, and 
to allow time for the withdrawal of the guns. The colonel, 
who was a brave soldier, acquiesced in my request, and or- 
dered his men to halt. A few other companies joined, and 
they kept up so well-sustained a fire that the enemy's advan- 
cing troops, which, on the flight of our own, had pushed too 
far forward, were compelled to fall back, fancying that we had 
received reinforcements. This was a great point gained, as it 
enabled us to save our valuable baggage. The Federal troops 
now delivered so deadly a fire that our troops were driven 
from their positions, and we had to cross the bridge, to which 
we set fire immediately after, in order to prevent its falling 
into the hands of the enemy. In a few moments dense 
columns of smoke denoted that this work of destruction was 
in progress. 

Whilst this noble bridge, once the pride of the people of 



FRIGHT AT KEWBEEN". 259 

North Carolina, was thus becoming a prey to the flames, the 
enemy actually stopped firing to witness the grand and awful 
spectacle. The flames rapidly increased, the timbers crackled, 
and the whole structure finally fell with a tremendous 
crash into the river below ; and then, for a brief interval, all 
was still again. The enemy presently reopened fire, and 
drove the Confederate troops from their position in front of 
the town. Inside all was confusion. The inhabitants endeav- 
ored to save themselves and their chattels, and every kind of 
vehicle serviceable for such a purpose was eagerly laid hold 
of. In vain did we endeavor to persuade the scared citizens 
that General Burnside was an honorable enemy, a man of 
humane disposition, and that there was no reason for this 
precipitate flight ; it was all in vain. As the last train start- 
ed the enemy's shot reached the station, but fortunately did 
no damage. The Confederate troops rallied at Kingston. 
General Branch found it no easy task to reestablish his repu. 
tation for bravery. General Burnside, apparently satisfied 
with the advantages he had so easily gained, turned his atten- 
tion more to the civil administration of the place than to 
military measures. Had he been aware of the disorganized 
state our army was in, he might have then given it a death- 
blow. Had he taken advantage of the moral defeat which we* 
had sustained, he could have easily driven us out of both 
Kingston and Goldsborough, and have caused our local gov- 
ernment at Raleigh to decamp; he might have threatened 
Weldon and Wilmington, and no doubt many inhabitants of 
North Carolina would have greeted his arrival among them 
very cordially. -As it happened, however, Burnside, who had 
us really in his power, allowed us to escape with only a 
fright. The confusion which prevailed^ at Newbern spread to 
Raleigh, for as soon as General Gattlin, who was at Golds- 
borough, heard of Branch's retreat, he became so alarmed that 
he was incapable of doing anything. General Branch's re- 
peated oi'ders to join him with all the troops he could gather 



260 WAK PICTURES. 

together met with no attention ; his officers shielded them- 
selves behind the general's responsibility, and would not take 
orders fi-om any one else. The managers of the banks at 
Raleigh packed up their cash and fled toward Charlotte, as it 
was feared the enemy might soon occupy the former place. 
But as General Burnside desisted from any further onward 
movement, the Confederate troops were allowed time to re- 
organize. 

On these events becoming known at Richmond, the Secre- 
tary of War ordered Generals Branch and Gattlin to resign 
their commissions. The command was then given to General 
Anderson ; and the Confederate Government also ordered all 
the disposable troops on the Potomac, under General Ran- 
som, to proceed to the support of the army in North Caroli- 
na. Indeed, the Secretary of War exerted himself to the 
utmost to make good the losses suffered by the Confederate 
forces in that quarter through the misconduct and incompe- 
tence of their commanders. 



MERKIMAC AND MONITOR. 261 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

THE " MERRIMAC " AND THE " MONITOR." 

Activity in the dockyards at Portsmouth — Mysterious naval preparations— Tlio 
Merrimao completed — The Confederate squadron steams out of harbor — Speccli 
of Captain Buchanan to the crew of tlio Merrimac — Position of the enemy's 
squadron — The Merrimao first attaclis the Congress, and then sinks the Cum- 
ierloMd — Renewed attack on the Congress : surrender and destruction of that 
ship — Captain Buchanan wounded — Arrival of tljo Monitor — Action between 
the Monitor and the J/e»'»'ijwac— The Merrimao returns to Norfolk. 

The Confederate troops had left their positions on the Poto- 
mac and at Manassas, and were quickly retreating on all sides 
toward Richmond, in order to make that capital the basis of 
their operations. Only Jackson's corps and E well's division 
had been ordered to take up positions in the Shenandoah 
Valley, for the purpose of repelling any movements which 
the enemy might undertake in that direction. In the interval 
every means was devised to convert the town of Richmond 
into a second Sebastopol. The James River had to be put in 
such a state of defence as to pi'otect the capital from an attack 
by the enemy's fleet. To this end the inspectors and superin- 
tendents of the dockyards at Portsmouth displayed the great- 
est activity. The naval establishments, which had all been 
j-epaired and rebuilt since their demolition, were, consequent- 
ly, all set busily to work,* and an extraordinary number of 
hands were engaged in hastening all kinds of warlike prepa- 
rations. The dockyards and the arsenals were also put in a 



262 WAR PICTETKES. 

state of defence, and large slabs of sheet iron from Ander- 
son's foundery were brought to Portsmouth for the casing of 
ironclads. The people were, as usual, very inquisitive, but 
the Government kept its secrets effectually ; so much so, that 
the public only acquired information in a general kind of way, 
and of such a character as it suited the Government to spread. 
Everybody talked of the ship that was being constructed in 
the dockyard, and which was to be cased over with iron of 
such a thickness as to be impenetrable to even the heaviest 
shot. This was, however, not fully believed in ; it was rather 
construed as a boastful rumor purposely spread by the naval 
authorities, by way of accounting in somewise for the large 
sums which had been lavished without any apparent result. 

A few days before the Merrimac put to sea there was a 
rumor current that she had sunk in the basin of the dock- 
yard, and no little discontent was manifested by a portion of 
the public, which went so far as to cause a demand to be made 
upon the Government for the removal of Mallory, the incom- 
petent Secretary of the Navy, as he was held to be. 

In the meanwhile Commodore Tatnall and Captain Bu- 
chanan daily made regular inspections throughout the dock- 
yards. At length, on the 12th May, 1862, the riddle was 
solved, much to the satisfaction of the impatient citizens ; and 
the Confederate fleet, consisting of the ironclad Merrimac, 
mounting ten heavy 6S-pounders ; the corvette Patriclc Henry, 
with twelve guns (24 and o2-pounders) ; the steamer Jamestoion, 
mounting two guns, and the gunboats Leager, Beaufort, and 
Raleiffh, with one gun each, started for Hampton Roads. Thou- 
sands of spectators had assembled to witness the animating 
spectacle of a naval engagement of so novel a kind, and it was 
indeed an interesting sight to see the little Confederate arma- 
da steaming out. ^ 

This small squadron was commanded by Captain Bu- 
chanan, who had hoisted his flag on board the Merrimac ; and 
before starting that officer harangued his officers and crew in 
the followina: terms ; 



THE FEDERAL SQUADRON. 263 

" We are now about to see the faces of our enemies ; this 
honor has for a long time been withheld from us, and granted 
(nily to the land forces. This day, however, we shall have 
that gratification. You shall see your enemies ; and I pro- 
mise you that it will not be long before you are engaged with 
them. Remember that you fight for your rights and 
for your country. You see the enemy's ships yonder. You 
must destroy them. I do not say, Will you do it? for I know 
you will ! " 

This curt address was not lost on the men ; they received 
it with loud cheers, and even those who, up to that moment, 
may have felt some scruples in serving on board such an iron 
prison as the Merrimac, plucked up in spirit. The iron mon- 
ster now steamed away into the bay, but looked withal so dark, 
ominous, mysterious, and uncouth a structure, that it seemed 
to move along unnaturally on the waters. No human being, 
indeed, was to be seen on this moving fortress, as it towered 
gloomily over the little flotilla of gunboats, which sought the 
protection of its formidable armament. The thousands who 
had gathered together on the shores, to watch the progress of 
the Confederate fleet, looked on with beating hearts, and eyes 
anxiously strained. 

The formidable ships of the Federal navy were anchored 
out in the quiet bay, within easy distance, their pennants 
waving gently in the breeze. The Cumberland, a splendid 
frigate, mounting forty guns, was in advance, and to the right 
the frigate Congress, whilst a little further back the stately 
Minnesota rode at anchor, surrounded by several small steam- 
ers, and in the distant horizon appeared the numerous masts 
of merchant vessels. 

The enemy now began hurriedly to signal from their 
mastheads, which certified plainly enough to our crews that 
their approach was not unexpected. Presently a tremendous 
fire was opened from the ports of the Minnesota, on wdiich ship 
was hoisted a flag, as a signal for the commencement of the en- 



264 WAK nCTUKES. 

gagemont. All the enemy's small craft now scrambled under 
the protection of her guns like chickens under the Avings of 
their parent bird, seeking shelter in the direction of Fort 
Monroe. 

Great activity Avas now observable on board the enemy's 
two frigates. Their ports opened, and their formidable guns 
showed their angry mouths as if in defiance of the approach- 
ing foe. As soon as our vessels had got within range, all the 
gunboats kept some distance astern, and the Merriniac passed 
on steadily by herself. As soon as she got alongside of the 
Congress, she fired a bi'oadside into her, which was imme- 
diately replied to by that frigate, and by all the land batteries 
as well, but with literally no eftect, for the shot glided harm- 
lessly off the Merrimack' iron sides like so many hailstones. 
Thus unhurt, she steamed toward the Cumberland without 
taking the slightest notice of the fire directed upon her by the 
unfortunate ship which she had doomed to destruction. 
When within forty yards of the Cumberland the crew of the 
Merrimac could distinctly hear the orders that were given on 
board that frigate, and the remarks made by her crew, " AYhat 
the devil is this, coming ? ^Yhat can she bo about 1 " 

The commander of the Merrimac now raked the Cumber- 
land''s decks with an enormous cylinder shell, and this fearful 
missile dealt tremendous havoc amongst her crew. The Mer- 
rimac then swept round in a half circle, running her pointed 
beak straight into the sides of the Cumberland. The captain 
of that frigate, meanwhile, directed a heavy fire upon the 
Merrimac from every gun which could be brought to bear 
upon her at such close quarters ; the shots, however, glanced 
harmlessly off the deck and sides of this sea monster, which 
continued its coin-sc, and the Merrimac^s sharp point was soon 
buried in the frigate's stalwart hull. A stunning crash is 
heard, and the next minute the magnificent frigate is seen 
reeling about like a drunken man. Her brave captain, un- 
willing to yield, continues his fire in spite of the desperate 



MERRIMAC AND 00NGEE8S. 265 

condition of his ship. Gradually the frigate settles down 
deeper and deeper in the water, and the waves are seen pour- 
ing in at the portholes ; once more she rises and vornits forth 
fire on her assailant, and then, finally heeling over, the fine 
ship sinks to rise no more, carrying a large number of her 
ill-fated crew along with her. She went down noiselessly — 
her brave crew emulating her in this respect by meeting their 
fate without uttering a cry. For a few moments after she 
sank, the waters were disturbed where she had but so lately 
been riding in all the pride of conscious strength, and then 
settled calmly over her. 

The destruction of this splendid ship, with so many of her 
crew, in broad daylight and the calmest weather, in the midst 
of this beautiful bay, must have caused a panic among the re- 
mainder of the enemy's squadron. Nevertheless, the Congress 
kept her ground, and prepared to defend the honor of her flag 
against the redoubtable ironclad. The Merrimac now steered 
straight for that frigate ; but her career was presently checked 
by her getting into shoal water. Her captain, judging that it 
would be impracticable for him to get any closer to the Con- 
gress, then opened a heavy fire upon that ship. Ere long the 
Merrimac) s projectiles pierced through the frigate's wooden 
walls, and caused such destruction on board that her com- 
mander was obliged to strike his flag and surrender. Captain 
Buchanan then ceased firing, and signalled the gunboat Beavr- 
fort, ordering Lieutenant Parker, her commander, to go on 
board the Congress and receive her flag, and to bring away all 
the officers and crew. Captain Smith and Lieutenant Pren- 
dergast of the Congress, m reply to this latter surnmorus, re- 
quested permission to remain on board their ship, in order to 
take care of the wounded, which was readily granted by Cap- 
tain Buchanan. At this juncture, however, t?ie land batteries 
most injudiciously again opened fire upon the gunboat Beaix- 
fort, and although no casualty ensued therefrom. Captain 
Buchanan was so incensed that he ordered red-hot shot to bo 
12 



266 WAR PICTURES. 

fired into the Congress to effect her total destruction. Just 
about this time, however, he was struck on the foot by a 
Minie bullet, and was obliged to hand over the command to 
his first lieutenant, Jones, to whom he gave stringent orderg 
to sink the unfortunate Congress. The lieutenant executed 
this command to the letter, and in spite of all the efforts of 
the enemy's frigate Minnesota^ and of the Boanolce and Law- 
rence, to assist their stricken consort, the Congress was utterly 
destroyed. 

Meanwhile a feeling of prodigious excitement pervaded 
the crowd of spectators on shore. Two of the enemy's for- 
midable frigates had already been destroyed by our iron 
scourge, and the next day no doubt she would effect the demo- 
lition of the enemy's remaining ships. Our sanguine people 
already indulged in pleasant anticipations of a reopened in- 
tercourse with Europe. So certain, indeed, did many feel at 
the realization of their hopes, that they at once set about 
taking measures for the opening of the port preparatory 
to various mercantile speculations. They complacently di- 
lated, too, upon the consequences that might be expected to 
ensue from the triumphal progress of the Merrimuc to Wash- 
ington ; not doubting that she would destroy everything in 
her way thither. Probably but few were composed enough 
to sleep that night. Thousands, indeed, encamped on the 
shores of the bay, eagerly awaiting the dawn of day and the 
recommencement of the naval battle. 

The day broke at last, and discovered an enormous as- 
semblage of people awaiting the coming event in eager ex- 
pectation. The enemy's frigates Boanohe and Lawrence had 
sought protection under the guns of Fort Monroe, but the 
colossal frigate Minnesota still lay quietly at anchor in the 
bay. Alongside of her, however, was to be seen a curious 
little craft of no particular form, resembling more a capsized 
whaler than anything else. By and by, the Merrimac steamed 
out into the bay toward her antagonist, aiaiidst the vociferous 
cheei's of the thousands collected on the sliores. 



DUEL OF THE IRONCLADS. 267 

Captain Buchanan had sent his gunboats Jamestown and 
Yorlctown ahead, to reconnoitre the strange-looking little craft. 
They approached her with the utmost caution, and as they 
gradually drew near, she fired two shots at them from the 
enormous guns that now peeped from the turret on her deck, 
by way of welcome or warning ; they received the compli- 
ment in the latter sense, and hastily retreated. The Merri- 
mac now put on full steam, and bore down on her little enemy 
with the object of running her beak into her so as to sink her 
by sheer weight. She had already got to within thirty yards' 
distance, and was preparing for the fatal thrust, when the 
Monitor twisted suddenly round, like a fish, and at the same 
moment discharged one of her heavy guns point blank at the 
Merrimac, to let her know that she had now to encounter a 
foe as formidable as herself. The Merrimac then slowly 
ranged alongside her diminutive antagonist, and both opened 
fire with ordnance of a more destructive character than had 
ever before been employed in naval encounters : 100 and 
120-pounder Armstrong, and other equally powerful guns, 
discharging their fire at a distance of 150 yards. But it was 
to little purpose ; the balls glancing off equally from the iron 
sides of both ships. 

This useless cannonade continued for more than two 
hours, when another attempt was made by the Merrimac to 
run down her enemy ; but the Monitor again skilfully avoided 
the intended shock, and managed, moreover, to send a shell 
through one of the portholes of her antagonist, spreading 
death and destruction among the crew. The Merrimac now 
continued her fire with redoubled fury ; but it was steadily 
replied to ; and the commander of the Merrimac, seeing the 
impossibility of seriously damaging his opponent, at last 
veered round, and steamed away toward Norfolk, leaving the 
Monitor in possession of the waters which had been the scene 
of this unparalleled conflict. 

The multitude assembled on the shores, eagerly watching 



268 WAR PICTURES, 

the progress of the fight, could, not comprehend how it was 
that the Merrimac failed to destroy the insignificant-looking 
craft that had dared to attack her. But, when they ascer- 
tained the real state of the case, and that the little enemy was 
also one of those wonderful ironclads, capable of disputing 
the entrance of the port with the Merrimac, they were ex- 
ceedingly wroth, and denounced in no measured terms, not 
only the Merrimac, but the Naval Secretary, by whose direc- 
tions she had been constructed, for not having built at the 
same time a couple of such ships, in order to insure the open- 
ing of the harbor. 

It happened, however, that the movements of M'Clellan's 
army were assuming such an aspect as speedily to divert the 
attention of these politicians to other and no less important 
matters. 



m'CLBLLAN'S PLAK of OPEKATIOJSrS. 269 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

DESTRUCTION OP THE " MERRIMAC." 

M'Clellan's ill-concealed plan of operations in the Peninsula — Preparations on both 
sides — M'Clellan not supported by the Grovernment — He assembles his troops at 
Fortress Monroe — Alarm at Richmond — General Huger ordered to destroy the 
fortifications at Portsmouth — Federal troops take possession of Portsmouth — 
The MerrimaG destined for New York — Arrival of the enemy's ships — The 
Mcrrimac ordered to be blown up. 

It was no longer a secret to the Confederate chief that it was 
General M'Clellan's intention to transfer his operations to the 
Peninsula. Large forces were, accordingly, ordered to pro- 
ceed there forthwith, and instructions sent at the same time 
to General MagAider to place Yorktown, as well as Williams- 
burg, in such a state of defence that, if threatened, both should 
be able to stand a siege. General Magruder, who had for a 
long time held a command on the Peninsula, lost no time, ac- 
cordingly, in carrying out these instructions, and he soon for- 
tified Yorktown so strongly, that it was in a condition to 
stand the siege of a large army. 

General M'Clellan, who had been greatly annoyed at the 
defeat of the Federal army at Manassas, must have been 
much mortified to find that all the secret plans he thought he 
had so carefully prepared should be, as they now were, re- 
vealed through some underhand agency. No sooner was his 
intended scheme of operations known at Washington, than it 
was communicated by means of active espionage to the Gov- 



270 WAR PICTUEES. 

ernment at Richmond, where the necessary steps were forth- 
with taken to counteract it. As our generals were thus pos- 
sessed long beforehand of the knowledge of M'Clellan's in- 
tentions, they were enabled to prepare for every contingency. 
Our voluntary abandonment of Manassas must have caused 
no small astonishment to the enemy. If the secret of M'Clel- 
lan's comprehensive plan of operations had not oozed out, and 
if the Federal Government had given him all the support in 
their power needed to carry out that plan, and had placed all 
the disposable troops at his command, its success would have 
been brilliant, and this fratricidal war might, probably, have 
been long since terminated. 

But, as I have already said, the authorities at Washington 
acted with very little foresight, and they still continued to 
display the same want of common sense that led to the disas. 
ters at Bull Run and Manassas. By this mismanagement on 
their part, M'Clellan was deprived of the triumphs which he 
fancied he had effecliually secured. Now that the general's 
plan was known to a great extent, he had no further reason 
for concealing it, and he proceeded at once to superintend the 
embarcation of his troops with all his habitual zeal and en- 
ergy. As he was prevented from making lise of the direct 
communication between James river and Richmond, owing to 
its being blockaded by the Merrimac, he promptly collected a 
fleet at Alexandria, and by its aid succeeded in conveying his 
troops to Fortress Monroe, with the intention of advancing 
from that point upon Richmond by land. The Federal Gov- 
ernment acted as if it really wished to throw every possible 
obstacle in the way of the execution of a plan which was al- 
ready beset with difficulties. Thus it deprived the general of 
M'Dowell's corps, and condemned the latter to inactivity ; a 
measure which at a subsequent period became the cause of a 
very serious misfortune to the arms of the Federal Govern- 
ment. 

At last, General M'Clellan, having succeeded in assembling 



ALARM AT RICHMOND. 2*71 

his army under the walls of Fortress Monroe, resolved to 
push on by the shortest road with the greater portion of his 
force to Yorktown — leaving the fleet to convey the remainder 
of his troops up the York river — in order to cut off any at- 
tempt at retreat on the part of the Confederates. 

The news of M'Clellan's operations in the Peninsula 
caused the greatest consternation throughout the South. The 
confusion which prevailed, at Richmond especially, but indeed 
all through the Peninsula, was extreme ; and although the 
Confederate Government had for weeks past been informed of 
M'Clellan's plans, the news of his landing at Fortress Monroe 
fell upon them like a thunderbolt, and the most contradictory 
orders were thereupon issued. The dread that then prevailed 
at Richmond must be ascribed chiefly to the conduct of Presi- 
dent Jefferson Davis and his wife, who, as soon as intelligence 
of the advance of the enemy had reached them, not only took 
every precaution to place their family in safety, but despatched 
to North Carolina all the valuable property at Richmond 
which had been placed at the President's disposal; such as 
plate, pictures, works of art, jewels, &c. Such a course of 
proceeding caused much unnecessary alarm to the good citi- 
zens of Richmond, and no little irritation. So complete was 
the removal of the President's effects, that it was said that 
Mrs. Jefferson Davis actually ordered all the curtains to be 
taken down, and the carpets taken up, that they might btf 
packed up with the rest of the furniture of the presidential 
residence for removal to North Carolina. This was not con- 
sidered a becoming example of the firmness and magnanimity 
expected from the elected head of the Confederacy for the 
purpose of encouraging the citizens. The effect was, as may 
be supposed, to bring about a general removal from the town. 
Great confusion also prevailed at the various public offices ; 
the Government property was removed to North Carolina, 
and all the bank-note presses to Columbus. The Secretaries 
of War and the Navy, Randolph and Mallory, proceeded to 



2Y2 WAR PICTUKES. 

Norfolk and Portsmouth ; not, as might have been supposed, 
to take measures for saving what could be preserved at those 
important naval stations, hut to destroy everything. A hu- 
miliating day for the cause of the Confederacy was now at 
hand. General Huger was intrusted with the disgraceful task 
of destroying the valuable docks and Government stores at 
Portsmouth. Although there were no less than 30,000 excel- 
lent troops in and around Norfolk, the order he received was • 
fully carried out, and thus the docks and building yards be- 
came a prey to the flames. General Huger proved by his 
zeal in performing this work that he was well suited for it. 
Property to the value of many millions, much of which might 
have been saved, was destroyed in the most reckless manner. 
Such precipitation, indeed, was displayed in the process of 
general demolition, that tha fact of the Merrim.ac's lying in 
the bay was quite overlooked. As soon as the Secretary of 
War had ordered Huger to burn the dockyard at Ports- 
mouth, the chief of the naval department lost no time in 
sending orders to Captain Tatnall, who commanded the Mer- 
rimac, to send all the smaller vessels to Richmond, and then 
to sail with the Merrimac toward New York, to destroy all 
vessels laden with corn he should meet with, and after having 
performed this service to blow up the Merrimac — his instruc- 
tions appearing to imply also that he was to share the same fate ! 
• It will be seen from this that the Confederate ministers 
knew how to issue orders on a grand scale ; but it was a much 
easier task to burn trading vessels than to oppose a foe like 
M'Clellan. The Confederate troops conveyed all their guns 
to Suffolk and Petersburg. The flames from the burning 
dockyards at Portsmouth made General Wool, in command 
of the Federal troops at Fortress. Monroe, aware of the retreat 
of our forces, and he did not hesitate to take immediate posses- 
sion of that port so pusillanimously abandoned, which might 
have held out for months against an army of 30,000 men. 
The example lately shown by the commanders and crews 



FATE OF THE MEREIMAC. 273 

of the Federal frigates Cumberland and Congress, in the gal- 
lant but hopeless defence of their ships when opposed to the 
Merrimac, ought surely to have inspired the Confederate 
authorities with sufficient resolution to make some attempt to 
retain their hold of such valuable naval stations as Ports- 
mouth and Norfolk. 

Thus Norfolk and Portsmouth were abandoned or demol- 
ished by the Confederate troops, while outside in the bay lay 
the victorious Men-imac, little aware of the sad fate that 
awaited her. Captain Tatnall, her commander, being quite at 
a loss how to obey the orders he had received, was anxiously 
pacing up and down the deck of his ship. To attempt to 
destroy the shipping at New York was practicable enough, 
but to blow himself up in the air to please Mr. Mallory was 
rather too much to be expected of him ! He thought it ad- 
visable, under the circumstances, to hold a sort of council of 
war in his cabin, when he put the following questions to his 
officers : 

1. "Are the officers of the Merrimac ready to take her to 
New York, and there to fulfil the orders that have been sent 
tome?" 

Beply: "Yes." 

2. " Is the Merrimac so constructed that she can stand the 
fire of all the batteries of Fortress Monroe % " 

Beply: "No!" 

After a long debate it was finally resolved to run up the 
James River to assist in its defence. Captain Tatnall accord- 
ingly set to work, and during the night everything that could 
be spared was thrown overboard ; but as she rose some eight 
feet in the water in consequence, she could no longer be prop- 
erly called an ironclad, for her hull below the water line was 
unprotected, and she was, therefore, no match for the Moni- 
■ tor. The hostile fleet shortly made its appearance in the bay, 
and Captain Tatnall, perceiving the hopeless position he was 
in, ordered the boats to be lowered, sent his crew of 340 men 
12* 



274 WAR PICTUEBS. 

on shore, and ordered the Merrimac to be set on fire from 
stem to stern. The work of destruction was more speedily 
completed than could have been imagined. Dense volumes 
of smoke rushed* out of the portholes. Gun after gun ex- 
ploded, and in a short time that famous vessel, a striking in- 
stance of man's constructive power, so recently the conqueror 
of two formidable frigates, was wrapped in one mass of vivid 
flame. Ere long a fearful explosion announced that the 
flames had reached the powder magazine, and so terminated 
the career of the Merrimac. 



SIEGE OF YOEKTOWN. 275 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

SIEGE OF YORKTOWN. 

M'Olellan advances on Torktown, and commences the siege— Abandonment of 
that city — Magruder's retreat — M'ClclIan advances against Williamsburg — At- 
tack and repulse of General Hooker— He is supported by Kearny and Heint- 
zelman— Activity of Magrudor— M'ClcUan sends reinforcements— Hancock's 
successful attacks— Dosperato exertions of General Magruder— M'ClclIan comes 
up and drives back the Confederates— Consternation at Williamsburg— Ma- 
gruder holds out — General Johnston takes the chief command — Retreat on 
Richmond— A cavalry combat— Retreat of the Confederates. 

General M'Clellan, in spite of the bad condition of the 
roads, continued his advance on Yorktown, resolutely over- 
coming every obstacle on the way, and thereby inspiring his 
troops with full confidence in their commander. On approach- 
ing that place, however, he found that the Confederate General 
Magruder had, by using the utmost exertion, placed that city 
in an excellent state of defence, and |hat consequently it 
would be necessary for him to lay formal siege to it. The 
requisite siege works were then commenced under great diffi- 
culties, and the heavy guns brought up. It is only those well 
acquainted with the topography of the country who can fully 
estimate the difficulties which the Federal troops had to over 
come. 

After a month's hard labor the batteries were so near 
completion that the guns could be mounted. During all this 
time the Federal troops had to sustain a continual fire, and to 
bear the brunt of occasional sorties from, the garrison. Ma- 



276 WAR PICTURES. 

gruder, moreover, had assembled a force at Yorktown strong 
enough to enable him, if necessary, to take the open field and 
give battle to the enemy. Whilst thus actively at work and 
animated by a feeling of confidence, Magruder received an 
order from the Secretary of War to evacuate Yorktown as 
quietly as possible — leaving all his guns in position — and to 
fall back upon the second line of defence at Williamsburg. 
This unexpected order gave, as may be supposed, the greatest 
annoyance to Magruder, who, most reluctantly, issued direc- 
tions for the retirement of his troops. To conceal this move- 
ment from the enemy he ordered all the guns to open a heavy 
fire upon the besiegers, and at the same time sent two or 
three regiments to make a demonstration by way of a feint. 
As soon as it grew dark, Cullen's brigade commenced the re- 
treat as noiselessly as possible, on the road toward Williams- 
burg. On the following morning two other brigades followed 
in the same manner. By the 3d of May the greater portion 
of the troops had left Yorktown, only three regiments of in- 
fantry remaining behind. The whole of the cavalry and two 
batteries of horse artillery occupied the farthest outworks- 
During the night all the men were called in, and, under the 
personal command of Genei-al Magruder, proceeded on their 
mai'ch toward Williamsburg, the cavalry being ordered to 
remain in the vicinity of Yorktown to watch the enemy's 
movements. Our retreat was effected with so much secresy, 
order, and silence, that even the outlying pickets of the enemy 
were not aware of it. 

As soon as the news of the evacuation of Yorktown reach- 
ed General M'Clellan's headquarters, he ordered the cavalry 
under General Stoneman to follow in pursuit ; in pursuance 
of which a detachment under the orders of a daring young 
officer, whom we afterward learned was the Due de Chartres, 
rapidly attacked our rear, doing us considerable mischief. 
After a few of these cavalry skirmishes, the Confederates 
finally succeeded in reaching the lines at Williamsburg. 



DEFEAT OP HOOKER. 277 

From the quantity of military stores left behind us at York- 
town, the enemy's general must have been no little amazed 
that so strong a force should have abandoned a place so well 
supplied with war materiel, and which, moreover, was so well 
fortified as to be capable of sustaining a long siege. 

Without loss of time, M'Clellan resumed active operations, 
and advanced with his whole army. General Hooker led the 
van, and as soon as he reached our first intrenchments, he 
proceeded to attack Williamsburg. The attack was so de- 
termined that Colonel Miller, of the Confederate army, was 
unable to hold his position, and his troops began to waver. 
General Hooker continued the attack with renewed vigor, and 
a fierce fight ensued, in which the Confederates had the worst 
of it ; but Colonel Cobb coming up to Miller's support, threw 
himself upon Hooker's division, and brought him to a stand- 
still. Anderson's brigade shortly afterward made its appear- 
ance, and fell upon Hooker's right flank ; thus, this officer, 
although his troops behaved well, was compelled to give up 
his vantage ground and fall back. The numerical superiority 
of the Confederates told seriously against Hooker, who was 
compelled to retire with a loss of 1,700 men and some guns. 
The roads were in such a dreadful state, that the artilleiy and 
ammunition vans could scarcely move along. General Hook- 
er, who is an able soldier, did his best to save his fine divis- 
ion, but Cobb was not inclined to let him off easily, and 
compelled him to retreat, fighting step by step. 

Hooker's position became every minute more critical and 
desperate. His daring had imprudently led him into an en- 
gagement which he might have avoided, but he was too high 
spirited and too much excited now to acknowledge it. It 
was only when he found out the mistake he had made that he 
had not to deal with Cobb's brigade alone, but with a whole 
corps (Tarmee, that he sent to General M'Clellan for support. 
' The general acceded to his urgent request, and immediate- 
ly ordered up Kearny's division to his aid. He could not 



278 WAK PICTUEES. 

have sent a better man. Kearny was of that chivalrous 
character so often to be met with in the French army. He 
had lost an arm in the Mexican war, and he afterward joined the 
French army as a volunteer aide-de-camp in the Italian cam- 
paign, greatly distinguishing himself at Solferino and Magen- 
ta. Kearny brought up his men at the double quick to support 
Plooker, although the execrable state of the roads somewhat 
retarded him, but he eventually reached the hard-pressed divi- 
sion. It was a fine sight to see Kearny lead on his men, 
eager for the fight as they were. He seemed to be ubiqui- 
tous ; now leading on his centre, now ordering up a battery ; 
in another moment charging at the head of his troops; his 
striking, manly form was prominent, wherever the fight was 
thickest, setting a noble example to his soldiers. The opposing 
troops were soon intermingled in a regular meUe, and both 
sides fought desperately. Owing to the state of the ground, 
our cavalry was not serviceable, much to the regret of its 
officers ; it was also very difficult for the artillery to ma- 
nceuvre. The struggle, which had commenced at the verge 
of a wood, was gradually drawn into the forest itself, and 
here, under the crackling branches of venerable trees, amidst 
the roar of the artillery, many desperate hand-to-hand en- 
counters took place, such as have seldom been witnessed in 
other wars. There was something so wild and terrible in the 
aspect of this strife, that those who survived that day's fight 
look back upon it with a shudder. 

General Magruder, meanwhile, continued to order up 
fresh troops, and in a few hours he had so mauled Hooker's 
division, that it was reduced to little more than a fragment; 
Heintzelman and Kearny also suffered heavy losses. The 
goddess of victory already held the balance in our favor, 
when General M'Clellan pushed forward some fresh brigades 
along a dam, with a view of taking possession of the works on 
our left flank, hoping thereby to redeem the fortunes of the 
day. General Magruder, who had betimes discovered the 



ADVANCE OF m'cLELLAN. 2*79 

enemy's intention, forthwith brought up the reserve, which 
consisted of General Pickett's body guard, in support of the 
works in question. In a twinkling they galloped across the 
plain which separated them from the works, and reached 
them just as the Federal troops, under General Hancock, 
were advancing to storm the post. General Pickett, joined 
by a regiment stationed there, now furiously attacked the 
Federals, and a most desperate struggle ensued. " Bull Euu ! 
Bull Run!" shouted our men, as a sort of battle cry. The 
Federals replied by pouring a fearful volley into our ranks. 
The carnage was terrific, compelling our men to fall back, 
when General Hancock followed in close pursuit. General 
Magruder then ordered up the 2d and 9th cavalry regiments 
to charge the enemy. But this was of no avail ; the ground 
had been so soaked with rain that the horses sank up to their 
knees. Suddenly a shout of a thousand voices broke upon 
the ear like the rushing of a mighty wind from the wood. 
What did this portend 1 There was little time left for us to 
speculate. Charge after charge was made upon our men, and 
the news then spread that General M'Clellan, with the main 
body of his army, had arrived on the field of battle. This 
explained the loud cheers from the wood. Our men could no 
longer stand their ground. M'Clellan, in person, led on his 
troops into the midst of the fire. Magrudei', now finding that 
the battle was lost, ordered a retreat to be sounded, and di- 
rected HilFs division, which had just come up, to cover the 
movement. All the wounded, and a great portion of the 
baggage, were left in the enemy's hands. The shades of night 
put an end to the fight ; a heavy rain, too, began to fafl, and 
these circumstances fortunately prevented the enemy from 
completely overwhelming us. Tired and worn out, our troops 
returned to Williamsburg, where the excitement had become 
intense. 

It was now resolved to abandon Williamsburg, and to fall 
back on Richmond, much against the will of General Magru- 



280 WAE PICTURES. 

del', who had seen the fortifications of the town growing grad- 
ually under his own inspection, and he had great confidence in 
their strength. But the dread of the energetic M'Clellan pre- 
vailed at this juncture. 

General Johnston having now arrived, he was intrusted 
by the Confederate Government with the chief command of 
the army. He at once ordered the retreat to commence, 
although Magruder insisted that he could still hold Williams- 
hurg against the enemy. But the Federal General Keyes had 
already taken up a position between Williamsburg and Rich- 
mond, a manoeuvre which allowed us no time to hesitate, as 
he not only menaced the retreating troops from Williams- 
burg, but threatened the safety of Richmond itself. General 
Magruder consequently made the necessary dispositions to 
rejoin the main body of the army at Richmond. Hill's divis- 
ion was ordered to hold Williamsburg until the retreating 
army had at least twelve miles' start, and, with the cavalry 
and Cobb's legion,' to cover the retreat. When the sun rose 
blood red on • the following morning the streets of Williams- 
burg were deserted by the troops, with the exception of a few 
patrols of cavalry with drawn swords and revolvers in hand. 
Some anxious-looking citizens or wounded soldiers might oc- 
casionally be seen, but every house and shop was closed. 
Our cavalry, charged with the duty of covering the retreat, 
drew up in excellent order, in double line, to await the enemy ; 
and in a few moments pistol shots announced the approach of 
the foe. Small bodies of Federal cavalry dashed into the 
town, but on reaching the outskirts they found our troopers 
drawn up, ready for action, and immediately galloped back. 
In a short time the advancing tramp of a large body of horse 
became distinctly audible. We drew our swords, looked to 
our revolvers, and prepared for the expected fight. The very 
horses seemed to be aware of what was coming, and pawed 
and neighed and chafed continually. A squadron of lancers 
first made its appearance, and the remainder of the enemy's 



TREATMENT OF THE WOUNDED. 281 

cavalry soon followed. The word of command was now 
issued on toth sides, and the hostile squadrons met in deadly 
combat. For a long time victory remained undecided. The 
clashing of swords and the report of revolvers, intermixed 
with words of command, was all that was heard. Our men 
now gained a decided advantage, when a column of the enemy's 
infantry darted out of the wood in order to cut off our retreat. 
General Hill ordered a cavalry regiment of Cobb's legion to 
charge them and drive them back into the woods. The com- 
mander of the regiment, Young, carried out this order in ad- 
mirable style, and by a brilliant charge drove back the infan- 
try into the thicket. He had scarcely achieved this, when 
another column of the enemy's infantry made its appearance 
on the other side, and poured a volley of bullets into our vic- 
torious ranks. Surrounded on all sides, General Hill now 
ordered a retreat. The trumpets sounded, and our men, turn- 
ing round, cut their way back through the enemy, with some 
further loss. 

General M'Clellan, satisfied with the day's results, ordered 
no pursuit to be made, as his troops stood in need of rest, 
and, besides, the poor, wounded fellows on both sides, who lay 
in numbers on the roadside, had to be attended to. His hu- 
mane conduct on this occasion not only earned for him the re- 
spect of his own troops, but the esteem of our officers, which 
they did not hesitate loudly to express. M'CIellan had 
achieved a great success. He had driven our troops out of 
two of their strongest fortified positions, and by the sanguin- 
ary battle at Williamsburg had considerably shaken the con- 
fidence of our men. 



282 WAE PICTURES. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS. 

Disorganized Btate of the Confederate forces — The army reinforced by General 
Lee — Selfish conduct attributed to Government officials and others — Mutual 
recriminations— Movements of the Federals against Richmond— Pestilence 
spreads amongst the Confederate troops— General Johnston determines to 
attack the Federal army— Battle of Fair Oaks described— Defeat of the Con- 
federate forces. 

On our tooops reaching Richmond after their retreat, they 
were there joined by reinforcements organized for the pur- 
pose by General Lee, which needful aid inspired them with 
renewed hope and courage. The poor fellows were, however, 
so worn out by forced marches and by the constant pursuit 
of the enemy, as well as from inefficient arrangements for 
their comfort, that they looked more like spectres than living 
men. The roads, the means of transport — in short, every- 
thing they had to depend on in such an emergency, were in 
such a wretched condition that even the stoutest hearts de- 
spaired of a happy termination to the toilsome sufferings and 
privations brought about by this unfortunate war. 

It was surely enough to dispirit them at such a moment to 
have good ground for believing that some of the chief men at 
the helm were more intent on the attainment of their own 
ambitious ends than on attending to the sufferings and press- 
ing wants of the army. Nor were the representatives of the 
people free from a similar imputation ; many amongst these 



HUMANITY OF GENERAL m'CLELLAN. 283 

legislators were, at all events, not above huckstering about the 
price of their not very irksome labor. I do not intend, how- 
ever, that all should be included in this censure : there were, 
undoubtedly, to be found in that body men of sound patriotic 
views — men who were eager to do their best to promote the 
welfare of the common cause. But these certainly constitu- 
ted a minority, and their influence was altogether insufficient to 
check the growing tendency to self-aggrandizement at the seat 
of government. 

On the arrival of our disorganized and dispirited army at 
Richmond, General Lee, who had made himself well acquaint- 
ed with its condition, immediately set about remedying the 
evils resulting from its recent defeat. I was directed to occu- 
py, with my regiment, the farthest outpost, and there to keep a 
good lookout upon the advancing enemy, with strict orders to 
remain on the defensive, and carefully to avoid all unneces- 
sary collision with our foe. I had scarcely returned from 
visiting my outlying pickets, when a flag of truce from the 
Federal forces was announced. I rode down the road, and 
met a young officer who had come, on the part of General 
M'Clellan, to request that we would send medical men to look 
after our numerous wounded, as his own medical staflT was 
insufficient to undertake the duty. This humane act proves 
incontestably the commiseration felt by M'Clellan for the 
wounded of his enemy, and prompted me to despatch forth- 
with one of my officers to General Johnston's headquarters, 
with my urgent recommendation that _ General M'Clellan's 
suggestions should be acted upon, and that a sufficient number 
of surgeons should be promptly ordered to proceed to Wil- 
liamsburg on this duty. The humanity displayed by the 
general commanding the enemy's forces created a feeling of 
warm admiration among our troops, great numbers of whom 
had near relatives among the wounded we had been compelled 
to leave behind in the dense woods and sickly swamps, and 
who were out of the reach of any succor from us. 



284 WAR PICTURES. 

In noticing this conduct of General M'Clellan I cannot 
refrain from remarking that both our officials and our news- 
papers had all along been holding forth about the cruelty with 
which the enemy treated the prisoners in their hands : charges 
entitled, most likely, to about as much credit as those at- 
tributing to some of our officers the atrocity of throwing 
torpedoes into the wells when we evacuated ^the towns. 

It has seemed strange to some amongst the numerous ene- 
mies of M'Clellan in the United States, that I and others 
serving with the Confederate army should entertain so great a 
respect for him, and be so candid as to freely express it.. 
That esteem, as far as I am concerned, rests on the knowledge 
I have had many opportunities* of acquiring of his straightfor- 
ward, soldierly conduct, and especially of his humane endeav- 
ors to protect the enemy's property, and his care for the wel- 
fare of the wounded and other prisoners who fell into his 
hands. 

To return, however, to my narrative. A number of med- 
ical officers were, in pursuance of my recommendation, sent 
off to Williamsburg, under an escort of the enemy's troops. 

M'Clellan, having about this time proceeded with his 
forces up the York River, in order to join General K eye s ' 
i\jy~'' troops, that had disembarked at West Point, with the object 
of forming plans and commencing the necessary operations 
for the siege of Richmond, we had ample time to reorganize 
our scattered forces, and to bring up fresh troops from other 
Southern States. The States of North and South Carolina 
were cleared of almost all their forces, for now all eyes were 
directed to Richmond, at which place it was believed the 
drama would be played out. 

The enemy, however, as well as ourselves needed rest, for 
his forces had greatly suffered from bad weather and its con- 
comitant sickness. Meanwhile, M'Clellan continued his works 
for the siege of Richmond, taking his preliminary measures 
with great circumspection. North and South were now fair. 



J 



PESTILENCE AT RICHMOND. 285 

ly face to face, watching each other's movements — the one ag- 
gressively, the other defensively. By degrees the warm weath- 
er made its appearance, and the fields and roads were in so 
favorable a state as to enable large bodies of troops to ma- 
noeuvre again. The end of May came on, and the two armies 
still occupied their respective positions on the James Eiver, 
the monotony of general inaction being relieved only by oc- 
casional outpost skirmishes. In the mean while however, 
disease spread among our forces to a most alarming extent : 
virulent, obstinate fevers, caused by the miasma of the neigh, 
boring swamps, prevailed to a great extent, and the ravages 
that ensued became go great as to cause much anxiety to Gen- 
ei'al Johnston. The deaths, indeed, were so numerous, that 
sufficient persons could not be procured at Richmond to un- 
dertake this task of burying the bodies, which lay exposed in 
the churchyards by hundreds, spreading pestilence around. 
The medical faculty anticipated fearful consequences from this 
state of things, and General Johnston contemplated gloomily 
the inroads disease was hourly making in his brave army, 
which almost seemed as if it were doomed to sink altogether 
into an inglorious grave. In this dire emergency he resolved 
at all costs to attack his intrenched opponents. The various 
corps cVarmee chosen for this purpose were therefore prompt- 
ly drawn together, and on the afternoon of the 31st of May, 
during a violent storm, General Johnston attacked the enemy's 
troops, then occupying both sides of the Chickahominy. Gen- 
eral Hill commenced a furious attack on the enemy's left wing, 
which being in a well intrenched position, was enabled to make 
a good defence, and all Hill's efforts to storm the position were 
in vain. Anderson, with his division and two batteries, rush- 
ed to his support, and a most desperate struggle ensued, the 
enemy defending his position with great resolution ; and the 
ground was ere long covered with the dead and dying. An. 
derson so placed his batteries as to establish a cross fire, and 
under the protection of these guns again led his men to the 



286 WAR PICTURES. 

assault. A determined fight now commenced on the parapets 
of the enemy's works, whilst the fire from the two batteries 
frustrated any attempt on his part to bring up reinforcements. 
The federal troops defended themselves obstinately, disputing 
every foot of ground with their assailants, and as yet the Con- 
federates had no advantage. The commander of the Federal 
troops strenuously urged his men to hold their ground, and 
they responded to his appeal by standmg by their guns till 
numbers of them were cut to pieces. At this moment their 
leader was struck down by a bullet, and at this sight their 
stubborn resistance began to falter, and they gradually fell 
back. Thus the Confederate troops by degrees got a firm 
footing on the obstinately contested position. Another impet- 
uous rush was made by the Confederates, and the enemy was 
driven headlong from his wprks and sought safety in flight. 
Johnston now ordered our cavalry to take up the pursuit, ajid 
General Wickman, at the head of his squadron, swept the plain 
— his eager troopers, like a flock of ravenous hawks, dealing 
death and destruction to all they encountered. 

An indescribable panic seized the enemy, and they gave 
way along their whole line. Generals Keyes and Naglee in 
vain tried to rally the fugitives. It seemed as if no human 
power could stop them in their disorderly flight. 

At this moment, however, General Heintzelman rapidly 
brought up his division to stem the pursuit of the Confeder- 
ate troops, and planted himself like a rock between the pur- 
sued and their pursuers. His men, Irish and Germans, fought 
and died like heroes in this work of salvation. All Hill's and 
Anderson's attempts to repulse them were futile ; the Germans 
and Irish kept their ground, and succeeded in covering the 
flight of their vanquished comrades. They steadily opposed 
every fierce onset of our elated troops, and stood like a wall 
between them and their own defeated forces, in order that 
some of the fugitives might be enabled to reform their ranVs, 
and thus in their turn try to assist those who had come to 



DEFEAT OF THE CONFEDERATES. 287 

their rescue. In this way a line of battle was once more form- 
ed and the struggle was again maintained with desperation. 
General Anderson, seeing that it was hopeless to make an im- 
pression on those firm columns, now ordered forward Pickett's 
brigade to the attack, so as to cut off the enemy's retreat. Before 
this order could be executed, however, the troops were met by 
the enemy's brigade commanded by General Sumner, who 
fell on them with the bayonet, whilst a battery which Sumner 
had ordered up played upon them at the same time, causing 
great havoc. Pickett's brigade now turned and hastily retired : 
this necessarily led to the retreat of the divisions of Anderson 
and Hill. Johnston vainly put himself at the head of his best 
troops in order to reopen the action ; all his efforts were use- 
less : the victorious enemy pressed on with loud cheers. The 
generals halted to make a last effort ; but it was of no avail. 
Sumner rushed on our troops, who had lost all self-possession, 
and drove them back to Fair Oaks, until night put an end to 
the struggle. 



288 WAE PICTURES. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

BATTLE OF SEVEN PINES. 

Efforts of General Johnston and others to reorganize our troops — Touching inter- 
view hetween the General and his son, Colonel Johnston — Plans for the coming 
battle — My cavalry regiment attached to LongEtreet's division — State of the 
camp at night — Preparations for action — Approach of the enemy's columns — 
Commencement of the tattle — H«avy cannonade — Our successful cavalry en- 
counter—Desperate contest at the centre — General Johnston's repeated attacks 
— Resolute stand of the enemy, and heroism of the German troops — General 
Lee's attack eventually repulsed— General Johnston makes a final effort at the 
head of his troops, and is grievously wounded — The Confederates gain the vic- 
tory — Pearful losses caused hy the battle of Seven Pines— Sufferings of the 
•wounded. 

The Coixfederate troops were, as may be expected after the 
loss of so obstinate a battle, and the untoward circumstances 
that invariably accompany a hasty retreat, thoroughly ex- 
hausted — many among them falling to the ground in utter 
helplessness ; they were gradually brought in and placed in 
the houses nearest the field of battle. 

Generals Johnston, Lee, and Longstreet, however, exerted 
themselves to the utmost to arouse their sinking spirits, and 
promptly ordered that all necessary measures should be 
taken to procure the means of transport for those who were 
seriously wounded. Besides which, they had to determine 
what positions should be occupied by our troops on the ensu- 
ing day — another day of battle. Tired and hungry, many of 
our poor fellows strolled about wearily and moodily. No 
lively song or passing jest — no joyous laugh denoted that 



THE NIGHT AFTER THE BATTLE. 289 

they felt confident of success in the anticipated battle of the 
morrow. They obeyed the orders of their officers sullenly, 
and almost reluctantly. But a change was at hand. Fresh 
troops from Richmond now came up ; five regiments from 
South Carolina and Alabama ; whilst the batteries of the 
Washington artillery rattled heavily past under their gallant 
commander. Walton next followed, enveloped in clouds of 
dust ; regiments of cavalry from North Carolina, Tennessee, 
and Kentucky, their bright swords glistening as they reflect 
the light of the watchfires that lie on the road. The arrival 
of comrades to share in the perils their fellow soldiers have 
to encounter has always a happy effect upon the spirits of any 
troops. The newcomers were accordingly greeted with joy- 
ous shouts of welcome, and every scrap of provisions that 
had not been consumed was gladly produced and shared with 
the newly arrived forces. The events of the recent battle 
were eagerly listened to by them, related as they were by the 
men who had taken part in this obstinate and proti-acted con- 
flict. Hopes of better luck on the morrow were now loudly 
expressed, and promises of mutual support eagerly went 
round. The camp became quite animated — the men's courage 
was renovated ; defeat was no longer deemed possible, and 
even fatigue seemed to be for the moment forgotten. More 
serious business was meantime in preparation at the head- 
quarters of the general-in-chief. Seated near a campfire. 
General Johnston was thoughtfully occupied in studying a 
map that lay before him, a knot of officers standing in a 
group close by their chief. The critical state of affairs was 
fully understood by all present, and every eye was anxiously 
turned upon our beloved commander. Presently the general 
asked for his son, Colonel Johnston, who was one of the aide- 
de-camps of President Jefferson Davis. As soon as the colo- 
nel seated himself by his father's side, the latter tore a leaf 
of paper out of his pocketbook, and, after writing on it a few 
lines, he handed it to his son, with the words : " Give that 
13 



290 WAR PICTURES. 

to your mother." He also wrote a few words upon another 
leaf; but this he folded and sealed, and then handing it to his 
son, said, " Deliver this to President Davis. You can now 
go," he added, bidding him adieu, cordially, " and let me see 
you to-morrow." When just about to mount his horse the 
colonel hastened back to say a few more parting words to his 
father, who had now risen to watch his departure. The gene- 
ral folded his son in his arms with ill-concealed emotion, and 
then repeated in a cheering tone his directions that he would 
be sure to come to see him on the morrow. " Yes, yes, 
father," replied Colonel Johnston, in a voice hoarse with emo- 
tion, as he tore himself away. He then mounted his horse, 
and in a few moments was lost sight of in the darkness of the 
night. For some time after his son's departure the old gen- 
eral stood with outstretched arms, as motionless as a statue, 
staring fixedly at vacancy. Not a word had been uttered by 
the generals and other officers present at this affecting inter- 
view. At length their chief turned round,^ abruptly exclaim- 
ing, " Now, gentlemen, to business." The scene, simple as it 
may seem in description, was in reality most impressive. 
Could the general have had some kind of foreboding of what 
was to befall him on the following day 1 

We now all proceeded to the tent of the commander-in- 
chief, where maps and plans were strewed on large tables. In 
a few distinct and emphatic words, Johnston gave his instruc- 
tions to each general in turn, urging one and all, in manly 
words, to uphold the honor of the posts respectively assigned 
to them. He particularly urged that those regiments which 
had suffered so severely from the late sanguinary battle 
should be looked after and well cared for, and that they should 
be sparied as much as possible. " To you, General Holmes," 
said he, addressing that officer, " I intrust the reserve. As 
regards the necessity for employing it, that I leave to your 
own judgment, well knowing you will do your duty as a 
brave and trusty officer of the Confederate army. And now, 



THE COMING FIGHT. 291 

good night, gentlemen ; we all stand in need of rest to pre- 
pare ourselves for the heavy work in store for us to-morrow." 

Generals and staff officers now separated — gliding off 
silently, like so many shadows of the night, to their respect- 
ive quarters. 

All was now still as death in the camp, the silence being 
broken only by the occasional challenge of a sentry, or by 
the stray report of a musket. Later in the night, I was 
directed to join General Longstreet with my regiment, and to 
place myself under his orders. We were, on our part, there- 
fore, obliged to forego the hoped-for rest, and to make our 
way to the extreme right wing, where Anderson's troops were 
posted. We reached the appointed place about midnight, 
when we found the whole division already on the move. All 
needless baggage was sent off to Richmond, whilst the sol- 
diers struck their tents and put out their watchfires. An- 
derson explained that he had made most careful preparations 
for executing the task allotted to him for the following day. 

As soon as I had reached the division to which I was now 
attached, I ordered my men to feed their horses, and to examine 
their arms and accoutrements, that they might be in proper 
order for immediate service. We then encamped upon the 
damp ground, all of us impatiently awaiting the dawn of day. 
It was a beautiful night ; a mild but refreshing breeze blew 
over the encampment, and no one could have supposed that 
on so small a patch of ground lay encamped two hostile 
armies, numbering together 100,000 men, mutually animated 
by a feeling of mortal hatred, and who only awaited the first 
golden streaks of the rising sun to begin the hideous work of 
slaying each other. Before all the preparations -were quite 
completed the word of command was given to advance, and 
the infantry began to move in dense masses over the fields, 
while my troopers sprang into their saddles. By this time 
noisy sounds, in which was mingled the hum of many human 
voices, succeeded the stillness of the night. Aide-de-camps, 



292 WAR PICTUEES. 

orderlies, officers of every description, rode along the front of 
the troops. Suddenly a large body of horsemen was seen 
advancing. It was General Johnston and his staff, who had 
come to inspect the different columns already drawn up in 
position. In a few pithy words the General admonished the 
officers to do their duty. 

For a few moments all was quiet, but this short lull was 
soon disturbed by a musketry fire, which increased in intensi- 
ty every minute. The prologue of the battle had commenced. 
An officer from the outposts came galloping up with the news 
that the enemy was already advancing in dense columns, and 
that our pickets were obliged to fall back before the heavy 
fire to which they were exposed. Cole's legion was immedi- 
ately sent up in support of our foremost troops. The roar 
of cannon now became audible in the centre and on our left 
flank, denoting that the battle had commenced in good ear- 
nest, whereupon the batteries on both sides took up the fire 
with spirit. In a few minutes the earth seemed to shake, 
while the air vibrated sensibly from the incessant firing of 
great guns. Our foot soldiers advanced at the quick step ; 
all thoughts not connected with the deadly work in hand had 
vanished from the minds of the men — they were -intent solely 
on slaughter and destruction, so eager were they in their des- 
perate resolve of taking this day a bloody revenge for their 
late defeat. The cavalry, in compact array, impatiently chafed 
for the arrival of the order for them to take part in the 
battle. The first wounded men were now brought to the 
rear : poor fellows, many of them had already the shadow of 
death marked upon their countenances, and as they were car- 
ried past they called upon us to avenge them. My men were 
getting frantically impatient, uttering imprecations between 
their long moustaches and beards at being so long kept idle. 
At last the wished-for order came : " Cavalry, prepare to 
charge." General Holmes then led our two cavalry regi- 
ments somewhat to the left, to an open field, where we drew 



BATTLE OF SEVEK PINES. 293 

up in readiness for action. On our right, one of our batteries 
was keeping up so well sustained a fire that the dense clouds 
of smoke hanging around concealed everything from our view. 
We had scarcely got into order and prepared for the onset 
when the trumpet blasts of the enemy's cavalry reached our 
ears, and in a few minutes, from behind a small hillock, the 
enemy's dragoons and hussars came into view. " Charge ! " 
and in a few moments after this inspiring word was uttered 
we were upon the enemy, using our swords, revolvers, and 
lances with deadly effect ; and in this fierce encounter many a 
brave fellow soon bit the dust. We drove back the enemy's 
cavalry, but whilst in pursuit, a heavy fire from a body of 
the enemy's infantry assailed our flank, compelling us to wheel 
round and fall back to our former position with a few captured 
horses as trophies. Meantime the battle was raging with 
fury in the centre. General Johnston, having ascertained that 
owing to the preceding heavy rains the bridges over the 
Chicahominy in the enemy's rear had been swept away, re- 
solved forthwith to turn this circumstance to good account. 
Gathering together all the troops that could be spared, he 
made repeated attacks upon the enemy's centre. The hasty 
manner, however, in which these attacks were made, was un- 
favorable to their success, and General Lee repeatedly urged 
him, but in vain, to be more sparing with his reserve. Our 
foes were, in fact, in a very critical position, having behind 
them a stream so swollen by the rains as to bar their only 
means of communication with their forces on the opposite 
bank ; while in their front they were exposed to the vehement 
attacks of an exasperated foe, fighting almost under the walls 
of their capital — before the gates of the very sanctuary of the 
Confederacy. 

Column after column was pushed forward by General 
Johnston into the thickest of the fight, and the return of each 
of the shattered remnants proved the stubborn resistance of 
the foe. Some 0^^^ regiments from Michigan performed 



294 - WAK PICTUEES. 

prodigies of valor on this occasion. Most of their oflScers 
were killed, and their ranks were fearfully cut up ; but no- 
thing could prevail against the stern resolution of their de- 
fence. Death stared them in the face wherever they looked, 
but their courage never flagged. It was a sad episode in this 
bloody fight, when these brave Gretrmnr soldiers from the far 
West were seen to fall man after man. Such devotion proves 
clearly that they cherished the land of their adoption with 
cordial affection. General Johnston still persevered in his 
attacks with unabated vigor, ordering up regiment after regi- 
ment, with a stern resolve to succeed, by reiterated blows, in 
eventually beating the enemy. General Lee at length brought 
up some fresh brigades, with the whole of the reserve, and 
with these troops dashed forward at a rush, courteously salu- 
ting General Johnston with his sword as he passed, whilst the 
troops gave the commander-in-chief a cheer ; but it was not 
one of those hearty, confident cheers that imply a certainty 
of success ; it was rather the solemn war-cry of men in a 
state of desperation, and which baffles description. The havoc 
now dealt amongst our men was fearful to contemplate. 
They kept falling incessantly on every side, their places being 
promptly supplied by their comrades. General Johnston sat 
on Iris horse all through this scene of carnage, perfectly calm 
and collected, issuing his orders to his aide-de-camps, who flew 
right and left to see them executed. The battle had now 
lasted for many hours, and yet the scales of victory still hung 
on the balance. 

General Lee had now to fall back with shattered troops, 
the blood streaming from many of his officers, and his survi- 
ving men powerless from sheer fatigue. At this juncture 
General Johnston, putting spurs to his noble charger, galloped 
up with his staff to where Longstreet, Magruder, and Hill had 
collected .their men in something like order. In a hoarser 
voice he ordered them to form in a compact mass, and then, 
addressing a few emphatic words to the troops, said he would 



BATTLE OP SEVEN PINES. 295 

lead them in person against the enemy. In vain did Long- 
street and the other generals endeavor to dissuade him from 
such a step ; they would themselves, said they, with musket 
in hand, lead the men on if he wished it, but they urged that 
he ought not to expose himself to such a risk. " What a loss 
to Richmond it would be — what a loss to the cause of the 
Confederacy, if he were to fall ! " 

To this remonstrance Johnston replied, he was quite 
aware that every man, down to the smallest drummer boy, 
had this day done his duty, and that he was resolved also to 
perform his. Calmly, but firmly, he ordered the officers to their 
various posts, and then in person took the active command 
of the attacking columns. It soon spread through the ranks 
that General Johnston was going to lead the troops in person, 
and a cheer resounded along the lines. The three divisions 
of Longstreet, Hill, and Magruder advanced in fine order, 
with flags flying, and drums beating, and as they pressed for- 
ward, even the wounded gave them a cheer. ' It was clear that 
these men were determined to conquer or to die with their 
beloved commander. Fearlessly the enemy awaited the 
shock. In a few moments a renewed conflict took place, and 
the battle raged with redoubled fury on the same ground that 
had already witnessed such desperate fighting — such fearful 
carnage. A few brigades of the enemy came up in support 
of their comrades, who appeared unable to withstand John- 
ston's furious attack ; the battle had now reached its height. 
In the midst of his men, who were falling around him on all 
sides, Johnston seemed bullet proof. But suddenly he placed 
his hand to his side ; he turned deadly pale, and blood was 
seen to flow down his clothes ; he was grievously wounded, 
and presently fell from his horse. In a moment his officers 
were around him, and endeavored to carry him from the field. 
The report that Johnston had been killed spreading through 
the ranks, our men, like so many incarnate fiends, fell upon 
the enemy, who had, during this hard-fought day, so re- 



296 WAR PICTURES. 

solutely confronted them. So extraordinary, however, was 
the effect of the cry now raised on all sides, of "Johnston is 
killed," that the enemy's troops could no longer withstand the 
terrific onslaught of our maddened men. Their ranks waver- 
ed, and they precipitately fled from the bloody field. 

The victory of Seven Pines was dearly bought. Our 
commander. General Johnston, was not mortally wounded, 
but the injury he received was most serious. The losses in- 
flicted on both armies by this conflict were indeed fearful in 
extent. Killed and wounded were lying by thousands on the 
battle field, and the cries of the latter for help were heart- 
rending in the extreme. Our men, however, were so excited 
by the contest, that they seemed bereft of the feelings of 
humanity, and were solely intent upon recruiting their ex- 
hausted frames with food and rest. General Lee, on whom 
the command devolved after Johnston's fall, exerted himself 
to the utmost to provide for the wounded, and took measures 
to have them gradually conveyed either to Richmond or to 
the houses that lay near to the field of battle. 



STATE OF THE HOSTILE ARMIES. 297 



CHAPTER XL. 

INVESTMENT OF RICHMOND. 

State of the hostile armies after the late battle— M'Clellan not properly sup- 
ported by his Government — Official blindness — Disposition of the Federal 
forces — Alarm at Richmond — General Lee's great activity — The Federal army 
appears before Richmond — Destitution in the city — Effective defensive meas- 
ures — Comparative inactivity of the Federal generals— The Confederates as- 
sume the offensive — Stuart's dashing raid — ^Desperate cavalry fight — Exciting 
single combat — Success of Stuart's raid — M'Clellan remains on the defensive — 
General Lee prepares for the attack. 

The most important duty that obviously lay before General 
Lee, on assuming the supreme command of the Confederate 
forces, was to reestablish order and discipline among the 
troops, and bring them back to their former state, with a 
view to the complete reorganization of the army. 

The day succeeding the battle of Seven Pines the beaten 
and mortified Federal troops took up their new positions, and 
the pickets and patrols, who were generally on the alert, now 
remained quietly at their posts, without attempting to disturb 
us by desultory firing. Rest was indeed indispensable to both 
armies after their late extraordinary exertions. General 
M'Clellan's army had greatly suffered, but perhaps not so 
much as ours. His officers were enabled, by their coolness 
and skilful conduct, to spare the lives of their men, whilst on 
our part great losses were often occasioned by the blind 
adoption of ill-considered measures. 

The commanders of both armies turned their first atten- 
13* 



298 WAE PICTtTEBS. 

tion to the wounded, and then endeavored to fill up the fear- 
ful gaps in their ranks by means of reinforcements. General 
M'Clellan was, however, only enabled to obtain scanty aid of 
this kind, as his Government regarded with no little jealousy 
the prospect of the successful career of this young general. 
They could not be blind to the fact that in spite of the diffi- 
culties of the country through which he had made his way, 
he had, by his bold flank marches and successful actions, suc- 
ceeded in pushing his way to the walls of Richmond. That 
M'Clellan had instilled a spirit of confidence into his army, 
was a fact patent to the world. But his Government, instead 
of sending all their disposable troops to the Peninsula, in or- 
der to gain possession of Richmond by a decisive blow, split 
up their forces, leaving General M'Dowell inactive at Freder- 
icksburg, General Burnside at Newbern, and from 20,000 to 
25,000 men before Charleston. 

But one object should have occupied the minds of the 
Union Government: the capture of Richmond. The mo- 
ment was opportune. New Orleans, the richest and most 
important centre of commerce of the South, had fallen into 
the hands of General Butler, after a combined attack by the 
Federal fleet and land forces. Memphis, the second most im- 
portant town on the Mississippi, was in the hands of the 
Union ; the dreaded Merrimac had ceased to exist. The York 
and James rivers, with their deep channels, were open to the 
Federal ships, and the efficient army under-M'Clellan was so 
near Richmond as.to be within hail of the inhabitants of that 
city. All amongst them who could do so were leaving the 
place. It only required the employment of powerful means 
to destroy the fortifications that protected the town. All 
political animosity should have ceased at this juncture, and 
but one idea should have prevailed at Washington, that of 
using every possible exertion to avert the impending disas- 
ters. Every man, whatever his party, whether Democrat or 
Republican, should have thrown aside factious feeling, and 



INVESTMENT OF KICHMOND. 299 

united with his fellow citizens in upholding the cause of his 
country. Lincoln no doubt meant well, and endeavored to 
do his duty thoroughly ; but he was, unfortunately, surround- 
ed by a party, who, governed by selfish motives, did not 
scruple to bring their once happy, but now afflicted country 
to the very verge of ruin. M'Clellan w^as made to suffer 
from this factious conduct, which not only grieved him sensi- 
bly as a patriot, but greatly obstructed his operations as a 
military commander, and in fact threatened to endanger the 
eventual safety of his army. 

The nearer the Federal forces approached Richmond the 
greater became the tumult and disorder there. The conduct 
of the Confederate Government on this occasion, instead of 
allaying, served to increase the confusion.; for instead of 
makings a decisive effort with the forces then at Richmond, 
they ordered all the public officials to pack up their effects 
and hand them over to the charge of the ordnance depart- 
ment, and directed the magazines to be cleared and their con- 
tents carried away farther South. President Davis himself 
showed the white feather, for he hurried off with his wife and 
family to North Carolina, and, as may be supposed, this did 
not serve to allay the alarm of the people. In short, dismay 
and confusion reached their highest pitch. General Winder's 
secret police lost all power of acting. The civic authorities 
of Richmond were anxious to do something, but were too be- 
wildered to grapple with the mischief. A small number of 
desperate fellows from Baltimore took advantage of these cir- 
cumstances, and, at a public meeting which they convened, 
actually passed a resolution for burning down Richmond, the 
moment the enemy should attack the town. The sick and 
wounded were conveyed into the interior ; many public build- 
ings, as well as private houses, were made ready to be set fire 
to, and the distracted city was apparently on the eve of a 
great catastrophe. 

Genei'al Lee actively exerted himself in placing the forti- 



300 WAJR PICTURES. 

fications in bettei* order, and in constructing new works at 
various points. Nor Avas this active energy on his part su- 
pei-fluous ; for the defences of Fort James were not far ad- 
vanced when the Federal ships appeared within six miles of 
them. It was indeed only when the enemy was close upon 
us, that many measures were adopted which ought to have 
been taken weeks before. General Lee was busy in all ways 
night and day, exerting himself on behalf of his many sick 
and wounded, and was intent not only on increasing the nu- 
merical strength of the army, bu^ did his best to inspire it 
with fresh ardor. 

Meanwhile, General M'Clellan advanced slowly and cau- 
tiously, but with determination, and one morning his troops 
were descried encamped in a crescent-like order around Rich- 
mond. M'Clellan and the chief of his staff, General ,. Marcy, 
commenced their operations by encircling Richmond with a 
belt of intrenchments, which were calculated not only to pro- 
tect their men, but were made with a view of effectually in- 
vesting the place. The hostile armies worked away steadily 
at their respective fortifications within gunshot of each other, 
and the advanced sentries were so near as to be able to con- 
verse together. They indeed not unfrequently exchanged 
such gifts as tobacco and brandy on the sly, keeping up quite 
a friendly intercourse. 

In the mean time great distress prevailed in Riclimond. 
The commonest necessaries of life rose to prices which but 
few could afford to pay, and there was such a scarcity of 
medicines that thousands of poor fellows went to their graves 
for the want of them. The inhabitants of Richmond will 
never forget that sad epoch. The soldiers themselves were 
in want of the commonest articles of food. These horrors 
did not, however, damp General Lee's energy. After having 
put Richmond in a respectable state of defence he ordered 
Generals " Stonewall " Jackson, Ewell, and Stuart from the 
Shenandoah Valley to Richmond, and gave orders to Generals 



STUART'S EAID. 301 

Beauregard and Smith to send up all the troops they could 
possibly spare. The hospitals were all cleared, and arrange- 
ments made for the reception of 10,000 wounded. Artillery 
and ammunition wagons rattled through the streets of Rich- 
mond, while orderlies and aide-de-camps might be seen gallop- 
ing about in all directions ; troops, too, were hourly arriving. 
They came in a sorry plight, it is true ; but ragged and ema- 
ciated as they were, they nevertheless marched in with their 
bands playing and colors flying, and with every appearance 
of being determined to make a stout fight for their inde- 
pendence. 

All these occurrences could not have been unknown to 
Generals M'Dowell, Fremont, and Banks. Information must 
have reached them, not only through their own spies, but from 
deserters, that General Lee was concentrating all his forces 
round Richmond, for the purpose of striking a determined 
blow at M'Clellan's army. These officers ought, therefore, 
to have used all their influence with their Government to be 
allowed to join M'Clellan, so that the fall of Richmond might 
be insured. But nothing was done. M'Clellan was allowed 
to expend his energies unaided before the gates of the belea- 
guered city, and so the Confederates were allowed to concen- 
trate their troops at Richmond without opposition. 

When our preparations were at last so far completed that 
we were enabled to take the offensive. General Lee ordered 
Colonel Stuart, with two regiments of cavalry and a 12- 
pounder battery of horse artillery, to make a general recon- 
noissance of the enemy's lines, but to keep a special lookout 
upon General M'Dowell's movements, as it was known that 
his outposts were within twenty miles of Richmond. For 
this purpose, the 9th and 15th regiments of cavalry Avere se- 
lected — tried soldiers, who had served in every part of the 
country ; and, under the command of the gallant Colonel Stu- 
art, they proceeded along the turnpike road, in the direction 
of Hanover Court House. The advanced guard made itself 



302 WAR PICTUKES. 

acquainted with the ground through the medium of the farm- 
ers in the neighborhood. The reserve was intrusted to the 
charge of Baron Barke, a Prussian officer who had recently 
joined the Confederate army, and was acting as aide-de-camp. 
The cavalry rode quietly along the enemy's road. It was 
beautiful summer weather, mild and clear, and in every way 
suited to a cavalry expedition. The main body was enabled 
to ride on in perfect security, so perfect was the confidence 
felt in the circumspection of Captain Norton, the officer com- 
manding the vanguard. So we lit our short pipes, and sang 
snatches of songs as we moved along ; many a nigger looking 
over the fences, and wondering where we were going. Every 
half hour a report was regularly sent in by Captain Norton, 
who had managed matters so well, that the farmers, apprized 
of our raid, kept us informed of all the enemy's movements, 
either by preconcerted signals, by word of mouth, or in writ- 
ing. It was truly a bold undertaking to make this raid be- 
tween M'Clellan and M'Dowell, for if the latter had only 
taken a little pr(;caution, so daring a feat could have been 
checked at once. But General M'Dowell seemed to have 
been mentally blind just then. It is true that he had sent out 
patrols and skirmishers, within twenty miles of Richmond, 
but this.had been so carelessly managed, that the precaution 
was wholly futile. So long as any kind of information was 
forwarded to headquarters, it was deemed sufficient, and all 
was believed to be right. 

" Our outposts are actually within twenty miles of Rich- 
mond ! " were words that had a magical effect on those who 
heard them ; in truth, the word Bichmoyid had a wonderful 
effect upon the Federal troops, and General M'Dowell always 
made it a point of dating his despatches to Washington, from 
the nearest possible point to the former city. Instead of de 
voting all his energy to the prosecution of measures that 
would serve to give effectual aid to M'Clellan, and especially 
to protect his right wing, he rather avoided coming at all in 



STUAKT'S KAID. 303 

contact with the troops of that general. He seemed quite 
satisfied that a handful of his troops should be really in front 
of Richmond. It was natural that M'Clellan, aware of 
McDowell's presence near Hanover Court House, should place 
sufficient confidence in his skill as a general, as to trust to him 
to cover his right wing ; for owing to the immense extent of 
his own lines, his chief attention was directed to his centre, 
that he might be able to repulse any attack upon that point. 
We believed that our cavalry expedition had but very little 
to fear from M'Dowell, and our surmise in this respect proved 
to be correct. Scarcely had our foremost troopers come 
within sight of M'Dowell's videttes, when the latter hastily 
fell back xipon Fredericksburg. As soon as we became aware 
of this somewhat overcaution of the enemy, great exultation 
was felt by our men, who now became convinced of the suc- 
cessful issue of our expedition. Cheerily did we push for- 
ward along the fine road to Hanover Court House, when 
suddenly one of our foremost troopers came galloping back 
at full speed, bringing the news from Captain Norton, that 
the advanced outposts of General M'CIellan's right wing were 
visible. 

Colonel Stuart despatched orders to Captain Norton to 
halt, and sent six squadrons in the direction where he pre- 
sumed the enemy's • ca.valry to be posted in order to attack 
them. He then directed Captain Norton to make a flank 
movement, and, if he should find the enemy had been defeated, 
to folloAV in pursuit. For the first time, a squadron of our 
newly formed lancers was to take part in this attack. Although 
the men had only just gone through a few weeks' exercise with 
the lance, it was judged desirable to see what kind of service 
they would render, in order to determine whether it would be 
advisable to increase the number of that arm. The squadrons 
were ordered to proceed at a slow trot, on each side of the 
road, the leading squadron being directed, as soon as they 
came upon the enemy's outposts, to fall upon them rapidly, 



304 WAR PICTURES. 

and drive them back in disorder. We had already ridden 
some distance when we saw our leading squadron dash for- 
ward at full speed, amidst a fire of musketry and revolvers. 
The enemy's bullets whistled around us also, but fortunately 
did us no harm. Scarcely, however, had we reached the 
verge of the wood when we saw our troopers hurriedly gal- 
loping back, hotly pursued by the 5th regiment of the United 
States dragoons. There was thus no time to be lost now, and 
with a ringing cheer we dashed forward to support our com- 
rades. On perceiving our advance the enemy wheeled round 
and galloped off. "W e had ridden about two thousand yards 
when we suddenly came upon the encampment of another 
squadron of the enemy's dragoons. These poor fellows had 
barely time to get into their saddles and to draw their swords ; 
but their leader (Major Williams, if I remember rightly) per- 
formed his duty on this emergency like a good soldier, en- 
couraging his men as best he could, but every second brought 
us closer, and we were soon in the midst of them. After a 
short encounter the Federal dragoons took to flight in the 
greatest disorder. We were in full pursuit of them when a 
strong cavalry force, consisting of the enemy's dragoons and 
lancers, under Colonel Rush, came up to the rescue. We col- 
lected and reformed our troopers, who, in the eagerness of 
pursuit, had become dispersed, and in a few moments the 
hostile squadrons were engaged in a deadly conflict. Colonel 
Rush and Major Williams led on their men in good style, 
and showed us that we had experienced cavalry officers to 
deal with. One squadron was left behind as a reserve, while 
the whole of the remainder charged. The opposing cavalry 
masses met with a shock which shook the ground beneath the 
horses' feet. In this fierce encounter, upon which a cool, re- 
freshing breeze from the wood played as if in mockery, swords 
clashed, horses neighed and plunged, and trumpets sounded. 

But, alas, for the issue of the struggle ! our men get the 
worst of it ; our rough, well-seasoned fellows from the prairies 



HEROIC SINGLE COMBAT. 305 

of Missouin and Texas turn tail ! The enemy's swords" flash 
all the quicker, and our flight becomes general. In vain is 
our reserve squadron brought up ; it is also carried away in 
the flight. At this critical moment for us a thundering cheer 
is heard from a new quarter ; Captain Norton and his men 
make their appearance through an opening in the wood, and 
dash with impetuosity upon the exulting foe. The giant form 
of Norton, brandishing his Mexican sabre, is plainly seen at 
the head of his men, and in a moment the scene changes ; our 
scared troopers reform and fall back to renew the fight. 
Colonel Stuart with the main body of the brigade then came 
up, and it was the enemy's turn to take to flight, our troops 
pursuing them in hot haste. Colonel Stuart after this ordered 
men and horses to halt, for the purpose of a little needful 
rest. 

Meantime an episode in the fight occurred, in the shape of 
a duel between one of the enemy's dragoons and one of our 
Texans, on a small field close by. The dragoon evidently 
scorned to join in the flight of his comrades, and displayed 
such skill in the management of his horse and in the use of 
his sword, that it was quite a pleasure to watch him. In vain 
did the Texan make lunge after lunge at him, and try all sorts 
of expedients to overcome his antagonist. The dragoon sat as 
firm as a rock in his saddle, wielding his sword like a brand 
of lightning. By the manner in which he handled his horse 
and weapon I judged at a glance that he was an old German 
trooper, and I could not help watching the exciting combat 
with very great interest. The Texan still continued to wheel 
round his opponent on his fleet barb, eagerly seeking to find 
an opportunity for dealing a home thrust, Avhilst the dragoon, 
with a cool, steady eye, followed all the movements of his im- 
petuous antagonist. At last they close in earnest. A blow, 
a parry, and a thrust follow close on each other. The Texan 
had slashed the dragoon's shoulder, so that the blood began to 
flow, which aroused a cheer from the Texans looking on, but, 



306 "WAR PICTUEES. 

at the same moment, the former received a back stroke which 
cut through the sleeve and flesh of his left arm. The Texan 
now backed his horse like lightning, and his fellow troopers 
rushed forward to look at his wound ; but without paying any 
heed to his hurt he again dashed at his opponent and made a 
lunge at his breast. The dragoon parried it with great dex- 
terity, and at the same time let fly a quarte which caused a 
slashing wound in the Texan's back. The latter spurred on 
his horse to a little distance, and before I could take means to 
prevent the cowardly act, he took out a pistol and deliberately 
shot the brave dragoon, who fell dead from his saddle. The 
bullet had entered just below the region of the heart. 

Much moved at his fate, I ordered a grave to be dug to 
receive the remains of the brave German trooper. We buried 
him in his regimentals, with his trusty sword on his breast, 
and his pistols by his side. This sad act having been pei'- 
formed, 1 sent for the Texan, and after reprimanding him 
severely for his cowardly conduct, I ordered him to seek ser- 
vice in some other corps, telling him that I could not think of 
allowing a fellow of his stamp to remain in my regiment. 
The Texan scowled at me with his wild catlike eyes, and mut- 
tering a curse, mounted his horse and rode away. 

Touched as I was by the death of the brave dragoon, it 
was quite a relief to my feelings when the trumpets gave the 
signal to mount. We now started at a good trot toward the 
Pamunky river, where, according to the reports of our scouts, 
we might expect to find plenty of booty without encountering 
much hindrance from hostile forces, inasmuch as M'Clellan 
was under the impression that M'Dowell was posted here. 
M'Clellan could hardly have imagined that the latter, as soon 
as he was informed of our advance, had withdrawn his out- 
posts, and had abandoned the field to us. 

We reached the Pamunky river without difficulty, driving 
back the few troops left in charge of the stores. As soon as 
this was accomplished, a portion of our men were set to work 



STUART'S RETUEK TO EICHMOIO). 307 

to destroy the storehouses and the vessels on the river, which 
were soon in a blaze; whilst another detachment was em- 
ployed in driving in the numerous horses and mules that were 
grazing here. By nightfall the work of destruction was com- 
pleted, and we advanced toward the York River Railway to 
break up that line. Sending the artillery and captured stores 
forward, we continued our march, after a short rest, along 
the enemy's lines, they not having the slightest notion of our 
proximity to them. About ten o'clock at night we reached 
the York River Railway, and our men were just about to be- 
gin the work of tearing up the rails, when we suddenly heard, 
in the stillness of the night, the sound of an approaching train. 
Colonel Stuart ordered his men, who were armed with double- 
barrelled rifles, to draw up at both sides of the railway, and 
to send a volley into the train as it came up. This was done ; 
but, happily, as I afterward learned, with no effect. The 
engine driver put on increased speed, and the train glided on- 
ward, and was soon out of sight. In a short time we dis- 
tinctly heard the sound of approaching cavalry, and our 
vedettes came hurrying back with the information that large 
bodies of the enemy's troops were advancing in our direction. 
There was no time to lose now in crossing the Chickahominy. 
This operation we succeeded in performing, after a smart 
ride ; and we had just reached the opposite bank, when the 
advancing enemy came in view. 

On reaching Richmond, our troopers met with an enthu- 
siastic reception ; and the information which we brought to 
General Lee was of the utmost importance, as it confirmed 
the report that had already gained belief, of General M'Dow- 
ell's inactivity. General Lee accordingly came to the safe 
conclusion that he might now concentrate his whole force 
against M'Clellan, who was totally ignorant of the critical 
position in which he was placed. With commendable pru- 
dence, however, he had commenced moving his front a little 
more to the north of Richmond, and concentrated his forces 



308 WAR PICTUEES. 

SO as to occupy a more defensive position until the expected 
reinforcements of Generals Burnside and Pope should reach 
him. Cautious and skilful as was this step on the part of 
M'Clellan, General Lee was not the man to lose sd golden an 
opportunity of defeating the enemy as soon as he should, by 
the arrival of reinforcements, be enabled to make the attempt. 
"With what success he achieved his object Avill be seen in the 
succeeding " War Picture." 



CHAPTER XLI. 

THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLE BEEOEE KICHMOND : JUNE 25th TO 
JULY 1st, 1862. 

I. — A Council op Wab. 

General Robert E. Lee, our General-in-Ghief— His active preparations for the im- 
pending struggle— Holds a council of war : officers present — Relative position 
of the hostile armies. 

II. — FiKST Day : Commencement op Operations. 

"Stonewall" Jackson's flank march to Hanover Court House — Drives back 
M'Dowell's troops — M'Clellan's counter manceuvre — Jackson's orders to Gene- 
ral Branch ill executed, rendering Hill's attack on M'Call's division at Mechan- 
icsville indecisive. 

III. — Second Dat : Battle of Gaines's Mill. 

Heavy Confederate cannonade — Retreat of the enemy from Mechaoicsville — Pass- 
age of the Chickahominy — Arrival of troops under Loiigstreet and Hill — 
M'Dowell's inactivity — Battle of Gaines's Mill— Severe and obstinate fighting . 
bravery of the Irish brigade — Hideous aspect of the battle field— Sufferings of 
the wounded aggravated by neglect — Inadequate preparations at Richmond for 
their care. 

IV. — Third and Fourth Days : Battle of Peach Orchard. 

Defeat of the Federals by " Stonewall" Jackson — Their severe losses— M'Clellan's 
retreat compared with that of Radetzky in Lombardy, in 1848- Arrival of JefE 
Davis on the field of battle— Cool reception given to him — The enemy's strong 
intrenchments — Orderly retreat of the Federal army. 

Y. — Fifth Day : Battle near White Oak Swamp. 

Strength of the Federal position— The Confederates compelled to retire— Murder- 
ous fire of the Federal troops— "Wilcox's brigade nearly cut to pieces— General 
Lee's anxiety as to the issue of the contest. 

VI. — Sixth Day : Battle at Feazer's Farm. 

Destructive artillery fire— M'Clellan receives reinforcements — Alarm of the Con- 
federate ofiicials at Richmond— The fighting resumed— Heroism of General Hill 



310 WAR riCTUKKS. 

and his troops— Dcgpovnto mituro of tho Blnicglo : no quarter — Anecdote of 
Miv.lor roj'ton iind his son — Critical poeillon of tho Confederates — Tardy arrival 
of roinforccmoiita tiudor Magrndor. 

VII. — Sbvkntii Day : Uattlk of Malvkrn Hill. 

Magrndor opens the battle before daybreak, and drives the enemy to Malvern Hill 
— Ifoarl'iil I'llbot of tho fire of 2G8-pouiidor8 from the Kodoi'al ships— M'Clellan 
holds Ills ground firmly until midnight, and suoooeds in withdrawing his shat- 
tcroil forces to James river — Uellections on his charaotor and t^ilents as a com- 
mander. > 



A OOUNCII. OF WAR. 

No'i'tiiNO had escaped the keen perception of General Lee, 
and he consequenUj made his preparations for the e.xecution 
of his phms so ellcctually as to insure snecess, provided the 
troops did their (hity thorouglily. Once mox'e, accompa- 
nied only by his aide-de-cani]>s, he visited the most distant 
outposts ; again he inspected each separate brigade, each forti- 
fied post — in short every position, before lie proceeded to put 
his comprehensive measures in force. 

All tho available troops from the interior of the country 
had been collected together ; and besides the signilicance of 
this fact, everything indicated that preparations were making 
for a desperate struggle. 

On vlie 25th of June, another great council of war was 
held, at which nearly every man of note in tho Confederate 
army w;is jn-csent. There stood the general-in-chief, Lee, 
calm and dignilicd, greeting witli a friendly smile his col- 
leagues as they approached him, aiul for each of whom he 
had already cut out his work. With a keen glance he sur- 
veyed the countenance of each oflicer separately, as if ho 
wished to impress the features of all upon his memory ; with 
the feeling tliat he expected mucli from these men, whom, per- 
haps, he should never behold together again. By his side 
stood conspicuously the portly figure of Colonel Baldwin ; on 
his left, the eye of the spectator rested upon tlie thoughtful 



COMMENCEMENT OF OPERATIONS. 311 

face of " Stonewall " Jackson, the idol of his men, who was 
twitching the hilt of his sword in a nervous manner, as if the 
room was too narrow to hold him, and as if he longed to be 
in the open air again at the head of his columns. A little on 
one side were the two Hills ; in front of them stood the vete- 
ran General Wise, with his eager, animated look. Further to 
the right was a separate group, consisting of Generals Tluger, 
Longstreet, Anderson, Whiting, Ripley, Branch, and Magru- 
der. As soon as all the officers invited to the council had ar- 
rived, General Lee explained his plan of operations; pointing 
out to each the special duty he had to perform. The scheme 
was admirably conceived ; with well combined action, a bril- 
liant success seemed certain. As soon as the sitting was over, 
all the officers shook hands, and each of them left for his own 
post in order to proceed to active work. 

If we consider the relative position of the two armies, the 
advantage was unquestionably on the side of the Confederates ; 
for General M'Clellan's army, posted upon both banks of the 
Chickahominy, was too much extended, and had moreover 
great difficulties to contend with in manoeuvring, owing to the 
numei'ous ravines which intersect the ground. M'Clellan's 
front line was more than twenty miles in extent, forming a 
semicircle, which extended from James river to Ashland and 
Richmond ; while another portion of his army had crossed 
the Chickahominy from Meadow Bridge to Bottom Bridge, 
and occupied the banks of the river, which had been fortified ; 
so that, notwithstandnig its immense extent, his army pos- 
sessed a good line of defence to fall back upon. 

II. 

COMMENCEMENT OF OPERATIONS. 

Scarcely had dawn broken on the 26th of June, when 
'■'Stonewall" Jackson's numerous forces began moving in a 



312 WAR PICTURES. 

direction parallel with the railway line. After a forced march, 
they reached Ashland, in the vicinity of which were General 
M'Dowell's outposts, about which, however, Jackson gave 
himself no further trouble than to send a few detachments of 
cavalry to drive them back upon Fredericksburg. After 
Jackson had allowed his troops the rest they needed, he rap- 
idly continued his march upon Hanover Court House, upon 
gaining which point, he drove back the enemy's troops. As 
soon as M'Clellan was informed of Jackson's movements, and 
was made aware of the dangerous position this manoeuvre had 
placed him in, he adopted the best measures in his power to 
prevent Jackson's further advance upon his line of communi- 
cations. He forthwith ordered one of his most active officers, 
General Eitz John Porter, to take with him two divisions, as 
well as the reserve of the regulars, and with this force to hold 
their ground against the threatened attacks of Jackson and of 
General Hill. 

General Jackson's corps d'ai-jnee, strengthened by the ad- 
dition of Whiting's division, now consisted of about 30,000 
men, and he was therewith in a position to carry out opera- 
tions on a large scale. As soon as he had crossed the Chick- 
ahominy, he sent two brigades, under the command of General 
Branch, to operate between the two rivers, Pamunky and 
Chicltahominy, with instructions to advance as rapidly as pos- 
sible, and to endeavor strenuously to overcome all obstacles, 
so as to give full scope for the free action of the attacking 
army of the Confederates at Mechanicsville — Jackson himself 
purposing to advance toward Coal Harbor. 

It happened, unluckily, that General Branch, as had oc- 
curred on a former occasion, proved timid and undecided. 
As long as he acted directly under General Jackson's com- 
mand, he obeyed his instructions to the letter, and his courage 
never drooped ; but when out of his sight, he became nervous 
and unresolved how to act. This was one of his unfortunate 
days — he hesitated : delaying his onward march from hour to 



BATTLE OF GAESTES'S MILL. 313 

hour, instead of advancing boldly as Jackson had distinctly 
ordered him. 

In the mean time, General Hill (I.) vigorously attacked 
the Federal division under General M'Call, in front of Me- 
chanicsville. But notwithstanding all his efforts, M'Call held 
his ground ; General Hill then sent his aide-de-camp to order 
up Branch's brigade, but in this he was foiled, for the latter 
did not make his appearance upon the battle field until night 
had put an end to the combat. 

III. 

SECOND DAY. BATTLE OF GAINES's MILL. 

By daybreak on the 27th June, our artillery opened a 
very heavy fire upon the enemy's front, with such effect, that 
when they observed General Branch's brigade advancing to 
attack their right wing, they relinquished their position before 
Mechanicsville, and fell back, fighting, upon their second line 
of defence. Just at the moment we had effected the passage 
of the Chickahominy, General Longstreet's splendid cor2Js 
d^armee, consisting of well-'proved troops from the army of the 
Potomac, came up, as did also the division of General Hill 
(II,). The order was now given for the whole force to ad- 
vance. The divisions of Hill (II,), Anderson, and Whiting, 
forming the centre, advanced upon Coal Harbor, whilst Jack- 
son, Hill (I,), and Longstreet, forming the left wing, marched 
along the banks of the Chickahominy ; and Magruder, who 
commanded the right wing, was ordered to remain on the de- 
fensive, in consequence of the swampy state of the ground. 
General Wise assumed the command of Fort Darling, on the 
James River. All these formidable operations, in connection 
with the two former engagements, must have opened the eyes 
of General M'Clellan as to our intention of qiiitting our un- 
comfortable position at Eichmond, so that we might be en- 
14 



3l4 WAR PICTUEES. 

abled to act with greater scope. He ought, therefore, to have 
immediately ordered M'Dowell's corps d'armee, which had 
been lying inactive for four months before Fredericksburg, to 
make a demonstration on the Richmond road. Had he done 
so, the operation would have prevented General Jackson's 
flank march. 

But General M'Clellan had been deceived in his estimate 
of M'Dowell's generalship, for, notwithstanding all the in- 
formation he had received of our combined mano3Uvre, the 
latter remained unpardonably inactive and indifferent in his 
own safe position, thereby exposing M'Clellan's army, which 
had suffered severely from sickness as well as from desertion, 
to our overpowering attacks. 

•When General Lee was fully assured of M'Dowell's in- 
ertness, he immediately ordered a general and simultaneous 
attack on the whole of M'Clellan's lines. As soon as the 
news was announced of General Jackson's arrival at Coal 
Harbor, the Commander-in-Chief, accompanied by his staff^ 
proceeded to Gaines's Mill, and ordered the divisions of An- 
derson, Hill (I.), Longstreet, and I*ickett to commence the 
attack. Before our columns were in movement, the roar of 
cannon on our left wing informed us that Jackson had com- 
menced operations in that quarter. This belief caused the 
greatest enthusiasm amongst our troops. 

M-Clellan's position on this day Avas a most peculiar one. 
With one portion of his army he had crossed the Chickahom- 
iny, southward, and faced General Magruder's force, whilst 
the main body of his army was posted mol-e to the rear and 
closer to the railway, at which point he was firmly resolved 
to give battle. His arrangements displayed much skill and 
circumspection. The different troops took up their respective 
positious with remakable precison, firmly awaiting our onset. 
This was the first time that the two hostile armies stood oppo- 
site to each other on an almost equal footing as regards num- 
bers. The Federals had, however the advantage of a better 



BATTLE OF GAINES'S MILL. 815 

covered position, whilst our troops were fully exposed to their 
fire. The attack was opened by the columns of Hill (I.), An- 
derson, and Pickett. With a loud cheer these troops advanced 
amidst a tremendous fire from the enemy. Hundreds fell 
from the bullets of the foe ; but this did not daunt our men ; 
they advanced till they came face to face, eye to eye, bayonet 
to bayonet, and then a terrible conflict ensued. A Federal 
brigade, commanded by Meagher, and consisting chiefly of 
Irishmen, offered the most heroic resistance. After a severe 
struggle our men gave way, and retired in great disorder. At 
this critical moment, foaming at the mouth with rage, and 
without his hat, General Cobb hastened up, sword in hand, 
with his legion, followed by the 19th North Carolina, and 
14th Virginia regiments, and renewed the attack. But the 
efforts of these troops were in vain : the brave Irishmen held 
their ground with a determination which excited the admira- 
tion even of our own officers. The remnant of Cobb's broken 
legion then fell back. The 19th regiment had lost six ensigns, 
and most of the superior officers were struck down. Gene- 
rals Hill (I.) and Anderson again brought up their men to 
the attack, and the fight was renewed with greater fury than 
before, some of the regiments exceeding all their former 
deeds. 

Our soldiers displayed a stoical disregard of death that 
placed them on an equal footing with veteran troops, for de- 
spite the sanguinary harvest which death this day reaped in 
our ranks, no kind of disorder ensued, and it should be re- 
membered that this fearless resolution was evinced not only 
by the more experienced portion of our troops, but by many 
regiments that had never "been under fire before. It is, how- 
ever, due to our opponents to admit that they sustained the 
shock of our incessant attacks with undaunted bravery. Al- 
though some of their brigades had been fighting from four 
o'clock till eight p. m., they had continued to stand firm, and 
it was only when they found, at the last named-hour, Jackson 



316 WAE PICTUEES. 

was about to attack them in the rear that they abandoned 
their positions. Although their loss must have been very severe 
they retired in good order, with drums beating and colors 
flying, taking their slightly wounded men and their' baggage 
along with them ; and when hotly pressed in pursuit by Da- 
vis and Wickham's cavalry regiments, they faced round and 
repulsed them. 

Night now threw her sable veil over the field of slaughter ; 
it seemed, indeed, as if nature was anxious to conceal from the 
eyes of the living the harrowing spectacle of death's doings. 
Gradually, all had become still, save the faint echo of a distant 
cannonade on our left flank ; but that too presently subsided. 
The majority of our soldiers, overcome by the exertions of so 
obstinate a contest, sank down helplessly upon the ground, to 
catch a little fitful rest. Although 1 was also so fatigued that I 
could scarcely Keep my seat on horseback, nevertheless, ac- 
companied by one of my aide-de-camps, I rode to that part of 
the battle field where the struggle had been fiei'cest. The 
havoc of war that was here noticeable, even in the gloom of 
night, was fearful to contemplate. W hole ranks of the enemy's 
dead lay extended on the ground they had occupied at the out- 
set of the battle. The number of wounded too, was propor- 
tionately great, while their groans and cries for help were 
audible on all -sides, and were truly heartrending. In by- 
gone days I had been on many a battle field in Italy and 
Hungary ; but I confess that I never witnessed so hideous a 
picture of human slaughter and horrible suffering. 

The preparations for removing the wounded were on too 
small a scale, and the men detached for this service not suffi- 
ciently numerous for their melancholy work ; and as may be 
supposed, the surgeons had more on their hands than they 
were able to accomplish. By dint of considerable trouble, 
and with the aid of some humane officers, I succeeded event- 
ually in getting matters into a little better order. Luckily, I 
came upon some of the ambulances left behind by the enemy, and 



WANT OF HOSPITALS AT RICHMOND. SI? 

gladly made use of them to convey the wounded to Richmond. 
Whilst we were performing this sad task, many a poor fellow 
breathed his last, rendering all our efforts to succor him una- 
vailing. By midnight I had the first train of conveyances 
ready, viz., sixty vehicles of various kinds, containing 200 men, 
all severely wounded, and with great labor 1 got this train of 
carriages into town. At the first hospital I came to I was re- 
fused admittance. " All right," was the curt but fruitless reply 
to my request for admission ; " pass on to the next hospital." At 
the next hospital I met with the same reply. A friend then told 
me that if I would wait a little he could help me, as he would turn 
a large building he used for storing up tobacco into a hospital. I 
had therefore, no alternative but to wait an hour and a half with 
my load of dying men in the street. I did my best to alle- 
viate their sufferings by procuring them water, tea, and 
other refreshments ; but the late hour of the night and the 
confusion in the town greatly impeded my efl^orts. 

At last the temporary hospital was ready, and a sad hole 
it was for such a purpose: an open warehouse, unprovided 
with doors or windows, and with merely a few planks to 
serve for beds for the dying soldiers. On this memorable 
day our brave fellows had to endure everything : hunger, 
thirst, and heat, besides facing death in its most fearful forms ; 
and now, wounded at the very threshold of the dwellings of 
their own friends, whose rights and property they had been 
fighting for, we beheld them left to die uncared for in an 
open shed ! 

And yet this city numbered as many as 40,000 inhabit- 
ants ; it contained, moreover, many churches, admirably 
adapted for hospitals on such emergencies, and was well pro- 
vided with clergy. Yet no church door was opened, no min- 
ister of religion came forward to soothe the last moments of 
the dying soldier. With mixed feelings of sadness and indig- 
nation, I gave the order to place the wounded men inside tl^e 
wretched building, and, having bestowed a parting look on 



318 WAR PICTURES. 

the ill-cared-for sufferers, I mounted my horse snd hastened 
back to rejoin my regiment. 

IV. 

THIRD AND FOURTH DAYS. BATTLE OF PEACH ORCHARD. 

General Jackson had executed his flank march without 
much interruption on the part of the enemy ; and as soon as 
he reached the post assigned to him he led his columns to the 
attack. Though much tired after their fatiguing march, these 
" Sansculottes " attacked the enemy with indomitable spirit, 
overpowering all resistance. Like a whirlwind General Stuart 
swept all before him with his cavalry ; while Jackson's men 
seemed to be frantic ; throwing away their muskets and 
drawing their bowie knives, they fell with savage fury upon 
their victims. The carnage which ensued was terrible, and, 
although the enemy attempted, in their desperation, to make 
a stand, they were completely overthrown. Their flight be- 
came a rout, the men throwing away their muskets and run- 
ning for their lives. 

For a moment it was supposed that the defeat of M'Clel 
lan's army was complete; two of the enemy's generals of 
brigade had already been abandoned by their men, when, at 
this most critical moment for the Federal army, General 
Heintzelman made his appearance with his division, and re- 
newed the combat. With equal bravery and skill he succeed- 
ed at first in warding off our attacks, and thus enabled the 
defeated brigades to reform, but it was of no avail : the flight 
of the Federal troops ere long became general. 

General Heintzelman was compelled, in his turn, to give 
ground, and to fall back on the Chickahominy, leaving 
all the wounded, baggage, stores, &c., of the Federal forces 
in our hands. General Jackson might well exclaim, " Enough 
for to-day." No other general of the Confederate army had 



BATTLE OF PEACH OECHAED. 318 

achieved the task allotted to him with so much celerity and 
success. 

In this battle the Federals lost 2 brigadier-generals, 115 
staff and other officers, and 3,000 men, as well as their bag- 
gage. In a strategical point of view the success of Jackson 
was of far greater importance, as General M'Clellan was 
thereby completely cut off from his line of retreat. Conse- 
quently, when Jackson's success became known at our head- 
quarters, a firm conviction was entertained that the whole of 
M'Clellan's army was lost. The exultation this gave rise to 
was extraordinary. On joining my regiment early in the 
morning, I found my brave troopers indulging in the greatest 
excitement, as each and all of them were anxious to take part 
in the hoped-for capture of M'Clellan and his army in the 
coming battle. I could not avoid shrugging xnj shoulders 
when the officers of the regiment explained their views to me. 
I well remembered what occurred in Italy in 1848, at the time 
of Radetzky's retreat. It was a parallel case. The Italians 
had then prepared in their imagination comfortable quarters 
for the brave old Austrian and his army, and the Podesta of 
Milan felt so confident of victory and its attendant conse- 
quences, that he proceeded to the vanguard of the Italian 
urmy, in order that he might receive with due ceremony the 
conquered hero. But by that very time the latter had over- 
come every difficulty in his path, and had quietly retreated to 
his strongholds of Mantua and Verona. 

I had scarcely rejoined my regiment when I received the 
order to advance with the whole line. I looked sadly at our 
once fine division. Many of the regiments were terribly cut 
up. Some, whose full complement, like that of my own, was 
1,100 men, could not muster more than 300 or 400 efficient 
men ; nay, the 7th Georgia and 21st North Carolina regi- 
ments could only muster 180 men each. The number of 
officers placed hors de combat was proportionally great. In- 
deed so palpable was this that I had not the courage to inquire 



820 WAE PICTUBOES. 

after many a missing friend, not douLting that he had met 
with a soldier's death on the field of battle. 

Just as our division had begun to move, Jefferson Davis 
made his appearance, accompanied by Colonels Davis, John- 
ston, and Smith, of the cavalry, and by the Secretary of War, 
Randolph, with members of his Military 'Cabinet. The con- 
queror of Buena Vista did not, however, meet with an enthu- 
siastic reception, as with a cold eye and rigid bearing he rode 
along the front of the regiments, addressing, occasionally, a 
word of recognition to some personal acquaintance. 

As soon as our division had succeeded, in wending its way 
through the chaos of dismounted guns, tumbrels, dead and 
wounded men, and reached the open ground which allowed 
room for action, we were astonished to find in the enemy's 
positions, of which we now took possession, that nothing had 
been left but a few broken weapons and some baggage. They 
had taken everything else away with them in their retreat ; 
the number of dead bodies alone denoted how fierce the strug- 
gle had been. The defences were of immense strength, and 
of much greater solidity than we had imagined. We received 
orders to proceed as quickly as possible; to watch the ene- 
my's movements, and follow on his heels ; and we had scarce- 
ly passed the White House when our attention was attracted 
by a dense column of smoke, about a mile and a half to the 
right of the railway, apparently rising from the forest. Ap- 
proaching cautiously in that direction, we discovered a huge 
burning pyramid. The Federal general had ordered every- 
thing that could not be taken away to be piled up aiid burnt. 
Property to the amount of millions of dollars was thus con- 
signed to the flames, that it might not fall into the hands of 
the victors. Our men rushed to the burning pile in order to 
save all they could from the flames. 

Hundreds of casks of preserved meats, coffee, sugar, rice, 
wine, including even champagne, and similar delicacies, with 
which the Federal army was amply provided, and of which 



BATTLE OF WHITE OAK SWAMP. 321 

we Southerners scarcely knew the names, were here piled up for 
destruction. But the enemy had done their work so skilfully 
that our poor fellows managed to get but little out of the fire. 
Fortunately, however, the whole place was strewed with 
serviceable cloth cloaks, which proved most useful to our ill- 
clad troops. Everything denoted that M'Clellan had retreat- 
ed in good order, and that he did not dream of capitulating to 
his enemy. From some of the stragglers of his army we 
learnt that he had crossed the Chickahominy with his whole 
force, abandoning his former plan of retreat, and had taken 
the direction of James River, probably with a view to keep 
up a communication with his flotilla. I accordingly despatch- 
ed one of my officers with this information to General Lee. 
Shortly after I received an order to halt ; and just then the 
fine divisions of Hill (I.) and Longstreet came up at the 
double quick, in order to give the coup de grace to the sup- 
posed flying enemy. 

V. 

PIFTH DAY. BATTLE NEAR WHITE OAK SWAMP. 

About five miles from Darbytown, on the Newmarket 
road, we came in view of the hostile army, which had taken 
up an admirable position. The plain here is grown over with 
thickets of fir trees, and the ground is so very uneven and ill- 
adapted for cavalry movements that we were compelled to 
remain inactive. 

General M'Clellan had taken up a position which had 
Frazer's farm for its centre. He ordered this point to be de- 
fended with 19 pieces of heavy ordnance, drew his best troops 
together there, and calmly and firmly awaited our attack. 

It was of vital importance to us to drive away the enemy 

from the vicinity of our capital, no matter at what sacrifice : 

there was no alternative. But M'Clellan was well aware of 

the critical position in which he also was placed. Through 

14* 



322 WAR PICTURES. 

the folly of M'Dowell, and through the dilatory conduct of 
the Federal Secretary of War, Stanton, he had been fairly 
left in the lurch. Many other generals would, perhaps, 
under such circumstances, have courted death in the turmoil 
of battle. But, notwithstanding the immense losses he had 
sustained during the battles of the last four days, M'Clellan, 
like a good soldier, resolved to try again the chances of war 
at the sword's point. 

The spirits of our men, excited by the recent fighting, had 
become almost ungovernable. No sooner was the enemy in 
sight than they fell upon them furiously. But the Federals 
were undismayed, and received the attack as deliberately as 
if they were on parade ; while the batteries in their centre, 
opening a terrific fire upon our advancing troops, caused havoc 
and confusion in our ranks. General Lee, seeing this, ordered 
up all the troops he could spare to their support. M'Clellan, 
however, kept up such an incessant fire upon every column as 
it came up to take part in the attack, that whole files of our 
men were mowed down by showers of grape. The scene that 
then ensued is almost indescribable. For nearly seven hours 
did the battle thus fiercely rage, within a very small compass, 
without either party gaining an inch of ground. All our 
reserves were engaged. Wilcox's brigade was almost cut to 
pieces ; the men fell on all sides, and cries for water to quench the 
thirst of the wounded painfully resounded in every quarter ; 
but there were no springs on these arid plains to assuage their 
thirsty cravings. 

General Lee, looking somewhat disconcerted, rode along 
the lines of the shattered regiments, and with a hoarse voice 
ordered up Magruder's and Wise's brigades ; and we then 
commenced burying our dead. In a few words he directed 
General Longstreet what position he was to occupy on the 
morrow, and a moment afterward galloped ofl^ with his aide- 
de-camps to visit the other brigades. 



BATTLE AT FEAZEE'S FAEM. 323 

VI. 

SIXTH DAY. BATTLE AT FRAZEr's FARM. 

Dawn had scarcely broken on the horizon when the thuii- 
der of the cannon again shook the earth. A battery which 
General Anderson had brought up during the night, and 
stationed much closer to the enemy's lines, was discovered by 
the Federals, and was terribly mauled by their rifled cannon : 
every shot told, and the splinters flew about in all directions. 
In. a short time five guns out of the twelve of this battery 
were dismounted, yet the officer in command unflinchingly 
held his ground. Meanwhile our columns had formed, al- 
though the men were weakened through insufliicient food. 
Wearied, too, as they were by the exertions of the previous 
days, they almost staggered as they marched, but, neverthe- 
less, were not disposed to shirk the stern work that now re- 
mained for them to do. When the increasing light rendered 
objects more discernible, I took a glance at the enemy's for- 
mation, and noticed with no little anxiety that, from the 
greater massiveness of his columns, M'Clellan must have re- 
ceived reinforcements in sufficient strength to enable him to 
withdraw his wearied men from the front, and to bring fresh 
troops to bear against our wornout soldiers. 

General Lee, now quite convinced of the critical state of 
affairs, gave orders to " Stonewall " Jackson to keep his corps 
in readiness to cover the retreat of the army, should that 
contingency arise. Instructions were sent to Richmond, 
moreover, that proper measures should be taken for the 
prompt removal, if needful, of all State property from the 
town. Orders were then given to the divisions of Hill (II.), 
Longstreet, Anderson, Cobb, and Whitticombe to advance to 
the attack. 

One of the most desperate actions now commenced which 



324 WAR PICTURES. 

has perhaps ever been fought. The loss we suffered on this 
occasion is fearful to think of. Perceiving the havoc his ar- 
tillery was making among our men, M'Clellan brought up 
considerable forces from his reserve, and with these troops 
poured volley after volley of musketry into our ranks. Step 
by step his troops gained ground, till at length some of our 
companies threw down their muskets and fled. M'Clellan, 
taking advantage of the favorable moment, ordered his cav- 
alry to move on our flank. Anderson then, rapidly placing 
himself at the head of three of our horse regiments, bore down 
furiously upon the enemy's squadrons. The charge was a 
brilliant Qne. With a defiant hurrah our troopers dashed 
upon their opponents, and such was the dismay produced 
among them, that, without allowing us time to try the tem- 
per of our blades, the hostile cavalry turned tail and fled igno- 
miniously. But it was impossible to follow up our success 
in face of the enemy's rifled cannon, and we, in our turn, had 
to fall back out of the reach of the murderous fire poured into 
us. The enemy, taking courage from the disorder thus oc- 
casioned in our ranks, advanced to attack us, shouting as they 
approached, " On to Richmond ! " These' vaunting words 
rang along the whole of the enemy's line, and when they be- 
came audible to us, many hardy soldiers who had successfully 
fought our foes in far-off Missouri and in the plains of Arkan- 
sas, felt their hearts swell with indignation. After six days' 
hard fighting — after incessant bloodshed — after all our harass- 
ing toils and privations — all now seemed lost! A feeling of 
depression, almost amounting to a panic, now took possession 
of the minds of many. For a moment these symptoms were 
so alarming that a general flight appeared imminent. In vain 
did the ofiicers of the staff endeavor to rally the failing spirit 
of the troops. This was a perilous moment for the Con- 
federacy. 

In this desperate state of affairs, while the enemy continued 
advancing to the reiterated shout of " On to Richmond ! " 



MAJOR PEYTON AND HIS SON. 325 

General Hill brought up some regiments he had managed to 
collect for the purpose, and, seizing the flag of the 4th North 
Carolina regiment, which he had once commanded, exclaimed : 
" If you will not follow me, I will seek death alone I " In 
answer to this powerful appeal, several officers rushed forward 
to shield their beloved general with their own bodies, while 
the men of the regiment vehemently shouted, " Hill, lead on 
your North Carolina boys ! " Cavalry officers, too, were seen 
to dismount and to take the vacant places of infantry officers 
who had fallen. Hill now rushed ■ intrepidly to the attack, 
followed by his men, in whose breasts he had rekindled a 
courage amounting to exultation. The enemy was sfeirtled at 
seeing columns that but a few moments before had been in 
full flight thus reappear in fierce array to renew the attack. 
Hill fell like a wounded lion upon his pursuers, and the con- 
ffict was then waged chiefly with cold steel, for there was no 
time left for loading and firing. The animosity Avith which 
the men on both sides fought was almost diabolic ; quarter 
was not thought of, the bowie knife and the bayonet did the 
sanguinary work. The son sinks dying at his father's feet — 
the father heeds not his dying child. Yon savagely excited 
soldier cares not that his brother has been killed within a few 
paces of him ; nor do the most intimate friends, in this scene 
of unrestrained butchery, heed the last groan of their cherished 
comrades ; all the bonds of human nature are broken ; one 
hideous cra,ving alone seeks gratification — revenge on the foe ! 
It was here that the son of Major Peyton, a lad fifteen 
years of age, called to his father to help him, as a bullet had 
smashed both his legs. " I will help you," replied the major, 
" when we have beaten the enemy. I have other sons to lead 
in the path of glory ! " Then shouting " Forward ! " he him- 
self fell only a few yards further mortally wounded. Many 
deeds of heroic bravery were performed on both sides. In- 
deed, it would be difficult to point to any page in military 
history where that virtue was more fully displayed than in 



326 WAE PICTURES. 

this memorable battle. So intense was the animosity that 
animated the contending foes, that even many a wounded man 
lying helpless on the ground would strive with a last effort to 
plunge his knife into the breast of some fallen enemy near 
him. 

General Hill's success enabled the other generals to rally 
and reform some of their scattered troops, and, in a short 
time, by such means, the battle was renewed along the whole 
line, and continued to rage until far in the night. It was 
essential to our chances of success that we should maintain 
the fight until reinforcements could reach us, and we felt 
assured that the enemy's troops were quite as much exhaust- 
ed as our own. 

By eleven o'clock at night, the divisions of Magruder. 
Wise, and Holmes arrived, and took up a position in our 
front. Had these generals performed their duties with ac- 
tivity and care, a vast deal of bloodshed might have been 
spared, and the enemy would have been driven back upon his 
reserves as early as the forenoon. But, unfortunately, these 
three divisions arrived just seventeen hours too late. The 
generals were not quite certain as to their proper line of 
march, and, consequently, their columns kept crossing and 
recrossing each other, thus causing the loss of much precious 
time. Nevertheless, late as this succor was in reaching us, 
the shattered remnant of our army owed its eventual safety 
to its interposition. 

As soon as the three divisions in question had gone to the 
front, the regiments which had been engaged were withdrawn, 
and every effort was used to reorganize them, and to recruit 
the exhausted strength of the men during the night by the 
much-needed supplies of food. Fortunately, there was just 
then no lack of such stores. Proper measures were taken, 
also, to remove the wounded and to bury the dead. 



BATTLE OF MALYEBN HILL. 327 

VII. 

SEVENTH DAY. BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL, 

On the 1st of July, as early as two o'clock in the morn- 
ing, when the stars were still twinkling in the heavens. Gen- 
eral Magruder renewed the fight. In a very short time the 
cannonade opened along the whole line, and so desperate was 
the sustained attack of our forces, that by the time noon had 
arrived M'Clellan was driven from all his positions, abandon- 
ing his wounded, his baggage, and many guns. Magruder 
followed closely in pursuit, but with caution, as he had to 
clear the surrounding thickets of the artillery and riflemen 
that were concealed under their cover. 

At half past four in the afternoon, our troops reached the 
v/ell-known farm belonging to D. Carter, called Malvern Hill. 
Here General M'Clellan had resolved to make a stand, and 
had accordingly drawn up his troops in order-, of battle. 
General Magruder lost no time in attacking them. Our 
columns, in splendid order, soon cleared the ground which 
separated them from the enemy, and advanced to attack 
them in their intrenched position. But a hail of bullets 
created fearful gaps in our ranks, and our troops had to 
retire for shelter behind the trees. Generals Smith, Ander- 
son, and Holmes again led them on, when suddenly guns of 
an enormous calibre opened fire upon us with terrible effect. 
This cannonade proceeded from the ships, moored at a dis- 
tance of no less than two and a half miles from the field of 
battle. Our men now attacked the works on Malvern Hill 
with desperate courage. But M'Clellan resolutely held his 
ground, and it was not until midnight that he was compelled 
to give way before the persevering and heroic efforts of our 
troops. 

This battle of the seventh day will ever be remembered 



328 WAR PICTURES. 

as the Battle of Malvern Hill, and will hold an enduring place 
in the annals of the South. 

In none of the previous battles before Richmond had the 
fighting b'een confined to so small a space as in this action ; 
and in addition to the effects of this concentrated strife, the 
fire of monster guns from the enemy's ships must be taken 
into account, as an aggravation of its horrors ; it was a fear- 
ful sight to see these 268 lb. shells crash through the wood 
and explode. This was the first time in the history of war 
that such enormous shells were used. I repeat, that the Bat- 
tle of Malvern Hill will ever be a great and proud memorial 
for that people, who here displayed their indomitable spirit 
iind fixed determination to conquer or die for their liberty and 
national independence. 

It was at Malvern Hill, moreover, that the enemy's lead- 
er. General M'Clellan, displayed his talents in the most ad- 
vantageous light. Notwithstanding his enormous losses, our 
desperate attempts to annihilate the Federal host failed to ac- 
complish that much-cherished object of our whole army ; and 
for that unfulfilled wish torrents of blood were prodigally 
shed. 

I may venture to say that, if M'Clellan had received the 
support that had been promised him, he might have given a 
crushing blow to the Confederacy. But it was only after his 
army had been routed that Burnside made his appearance with 
his corps. What might not the result have been, if that gen- 
eral had arrived a fortnight sooner, and if M'Dowell had not 
been virtually isolated from M'Clellan ? 

As General M'Clellan withdrew his shattered forces 
through swamps, forests, and all sorts of difficult ground; he 
could well exclaim, like Francis I, after the battle of Pavia, 
" All is lost except honor ! " Still undaunted, he retreated 
to James River, to find protection under the guns of his 
flotilla. 

The tribute of admiration we here venture to pay to Gen- 



FINAL DEFEAT OF m'CLBLLAN. 329 

eral M'Clellan is conscientiously bestowed. There are few, 
if any, generals in the Federal army that can bear comparison 
with him. Abandoned at the most ci'itical moment by 
M'Dowell ; left to his fate by the Secretary of War, Stanton, 
from party pique ; cut off from his line of retreat, he adopted 
a basis of operations on a plan of his own, that puzzled the 
comprehension of less able men, and in its execution he de- 
fended every inch of ground with bravery and skill. His last 
halt nt Malvern Hill is a proof of his military talent, and he 
is entitled to as much credit for his able combinations as for 
the determined stand he there made. But his troops had, at 
the close of these fierce conflicts, become much demoralized 
by the effects of the previous six days' fighting, and had. losi 
heart ; whilst many of his generals, having failed to compre- 
hend adequately the ideas of their commander-in-chief, gave 
him little or no support. 



330 WAK PICTUKES. 



CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS. 

If the question be raised how it has happened that the success 
which the Federal Government reasonably looked forward to 
obtain, in the struggle for the maintenance of the Union, 
turned chiefly in favor of the South, the only safe conclusion 
we can come to is, that it must be ascribed to a want of unity 
amongst the Federal generals. 

If that Government had only possessed a few such men as 
Sterling Price, of Missouri, the Leonidas of the Confederate 
army ; if the leading members of that Government could 
have been content to sacrifice their own ambition and vanity 
to a patriotic regard for the real interests of their cause, 
affairs might have taken a very different turn. The honor 
awarded by a nation to its sons is not based on the rank or 
titles they may hold, but is a consequence of the acts which 
they perform. All the distinctions which mere vanity strives 
to obtain are utterly barren ; it is only the memory of disin- 
terested, undaunted patriots that endures in the hearts of their 
countrymen. What the Washington Government had to con- 
tend against, was both a want of unity, and a general craving 
for personal notoriety. 

Such was the nature of the cancer that ought to have been 
cut out before it was so deeply rooted as to become incurable. 
Why did Fortune, it may be asked, smile so often upon the 
arms of the Confederates ? Because, we reply, with a few 
exceptions, their generals acted harmoniously together, and 
were well supported by their Government and press ; whilst 



CONCLUDHSTG OBSERVATIONS. 331 

the Federal Government, on the contrary, had to contend 
with three distinct political parties, each of which endeavored 
to impede the action of the other ; and this practical source 
of disunion caused the troops, as well as the people, occasion- 
ally to lose confidence in their leaders, political and* military," 
and necessarily rendered the task of the latter much more 
difficult than it would otherwise have been. In fact, it is be- 
yond question that the Federal Government, with its inex- 
haustible resources, with its powerful fleet and army, might 
long since have annihilated the seceding party in the Southern 
States, whom they regarded in the light of rebels, if its gen- 
erals had but energetically concentrated their operations. 

The United States Government should only have had two 
points in view in directing their offensive operations : the first 
and cardinal point being Richmond, which ought to have been 
taken at any cost, for, if once in their power, the deathblow 
to the Confederacy would have been given. Whatever people 
may say about moving the seat of Government further south, 
it matters not ; with the fall of Richmond, the Confederacy 
would have succumbed likewise, for Richmond was not only 
the abiding place of the most rabid Southern fire-eaters, but 
of the thousand overawed partisans of the Union, who would 
have plucked up courage to judge and act for themselves, had 
the pressure upon them been removed. The Confederate 
Government — which, it must be remembered, had not been 
really acknowledged, for President Davis was elected merely 
by a small body of partisans — would then have fallen to 
the ground. 

The Confederate Government is perfectly well aware of 
this, and this is why they exert every nerve to make a stand 
at Richmond. All the resources indispensable to carry on 
the war are concentrated in and around that city. Virginia is 
a rich and productive State, quite capable of providing for the 
wants of a large army : iron and coal mines, rich pastures, 
corn land, and all sorts of cattle, are to be found plentifully 



332 WAR PICTURES. 

within it. Richmond, besides being the seat of the Confeder- 
ate Government, is rich in arsenals, arm founderies, manufac- 
tories of different kinds, and great baking establishments for 
the army. If driven from Richmond, the Confederate Gov- 
'ernment might possibly make a stand for a fortnight in North 
Carolina, but would then be compelled to decamp hastily to, 
the other side of the Mississippi. 

When General M'Clellan took post before Richmond, he 
was perfectly well aware of the momentous task he had before 
him. Knowing the enemy's strength, he never treated them 
with contempt; but he well knew the vast importance of 
unity and self-confidence. It was not his fault that he was 
beaten before Richmond ; his failure must be attributed to the 
blindness of his Government, who looked upon the foe as one 
easily to be vanquished. Whgn M'Clellan had placed an iron 
collar round the throat of that foe, which he intended to draw 
gradually tighter, and had obtained a footing so close to 
Richmond that he could send his cannon balls into the very 
centre of the city, the Government at Washington ought to 
have concentrated all its thoughts and energies to the one 
great object of sending M'Clellan as many troops as would 
enable him to assume and maintain the offensive. 

The second point which the Union Government should 
have kept in view is the command of the Mississippi. The 
^Federal Government ought, at any price, to have taken pos- 
session of that great road of communication, no matter what 
amount of troops it would have been necessary to employ for 
that purpose. If it could have obtained the possession of this 
great watercourse, it could at once have cut off a portion of 
the Confederate States from all communication with those 
places on which they depended for supplies, and compelled 
them, through sheer necessity, to return to the Union. With 
various stations for her ships on- the Mississippi, and an army 
of 200,000 men in the field, the United States could hold its 
own against all comers. The Government at Washington 



CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS. 333 

should not have attached so much importance to its flanks ; 
for on the one side they were protected by their power- 
ful fleet, on the other by a brave and numerous people 
ready to step forward in the defence of their Govern- 
ment as soon as they were satisfied that the latter was 
in earnest. If it had collected together all the troops scatter- 
ed over the different parts of its vast territories ; if it put at 
their head a leader provided with the means of conducting 
the large army we have designated — a leader who had gained 
the love of his' soldiers — there can be no question that he 
could have achieved the greatest results. One decisive blow — 
one great victory — would have sufficed to induce the soldiers 
to follow him willingly unto death, wherever he chose to lead 
them ; and that, too, without the allurement of bounty, or of 
any promised reward, but simply for the honor of fighting for 
the national cause. 

The various acts of cruelty that have been occasionally 
perpetrated during this war may be accounted for by the fact 
of the armies being composed of heterogeneous elements. 
There was no true soldier-like spirit, no clear conception of 
the laws of military honor amongst these great masses, such 
as are to be met with in the armies of more civilized nations. 
The troops comprised a singular mixture of semi-savages? 
civilized men, patriots, and hot-headed partisans, with some 
few chivalrous adventurers. 

This lamentable war would long since have been termi- 
nated if the Union Governmejit had actively and resolutely 
bestowed, at the commencement of the contest, serious atten- 
tion on its more important issues, and have then readily made 
those sacrifices which it is now driven to. The whole affair 
was treated with too much levity : indeed, it appeared almost 
as if a wish prevailed amongst many to provoke a war. 
Over-confidence in their resources, national vanity, party 
spirit, and private interests all served to kindle the spark 
which has grown up into a mighty conflagration, that has let 



334 WAE PICTURES. 

loose the hellhounds of war to ravage this unfortunate land. 
When will a controlling hand be stretched forth to restore 
peace between the fratricidal opponents ? When will the 
mild angel of peace descend with the olive branch to restore 
tranquillity and order in the dwellings of man, and to implant 
love within hearts that are now filled with deadly hatred and 
revenge 1 

Who can tell ? 

Ere long, let us hope and pray, for who does not sincerely 
desire it ? But it needs the combined efforts of strong will, 
powerful intellect, and untiring energy, as well as of undaunt- 
ed courage, to recover and reunite the loosened elements of 
former content, prosperity, and liberty. Anticipating, as I 
fervently do, so desirable a consummation, I trust that thou- 
sands will join me in heartily. wishing that the American Ee- 
public, once the pride of the world, may arise strong and 
powerful from this disastrous struggle ; that the blood which 
has been shed in torrents during this war may serve to fertil- 
ize the soil of liberty, and that a new Union may arise, 
greater, stronger, and more free than its predecessor ! 



BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES 



^nuaU ^f t\t €GuttlitXKtit litrng. 



p. G. TOUSSAINT BEAUREGARD. 

General Beauregard, who is of French extraction, was 
born in the year 1818, in the State of Louisiana, and is the 
son of a wealthy planter there. After being educated at the 
Military Academy at West Point, he served with distinction 
in the Mexican war, and received the rank of captain after 
the battles of Contreras and Churubusco ; for his conduct at 
the battle of Chapultepec he was promoted to the rank of 
major. On leaving active service he was promised the post 
of Superintendent of the Academy at West Point ; but ow- 
ing, as it is reported, to political intrigues, the appointment 
was cancelled. On the eve of the outbreak of the War of 
Secession, he was intrusted with the command of the troops 
called out by the State of South Carolina to act against Fort 
Sumter. The surrender of that stronghold, as well as General 
Beauregard's subsequent achievememts, are to be found nar- 
rated in the text of this work. Beauregard is a short, thin 
man, with a darli complexion, and a most lively tempera- 
ment. Although the expression of his countenance can hard- 
ly be called prepossessing, his manners are nevertheless most 



336 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH3SS. 

courteous and urbane, denoting a man of good breeding and 
education. After the great battle of Manassas, praises and 
honors were showered upon him by the whole Confederacy, 
but the Southern authorities have subsequently treated him 
with coldness and neglect. 



THE LATE 

ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON. 

The late General A. S. Johnston was born in the State of 
Kentucky in the year 1803. After going through the usual 
course of education at the military school of West Point, he 
joined an infantry regiment in 1826. Appointed adjutant to 
General Scott, he served throughout a campaign against the In- 
dians, but soon afterward left the army and emigrated to Tex- 
as. He entered the Texan army as a private soldier, but 
General Rusk soon made him adjutant-general of his com- 
mand. He soon rose to be senior brigadier-general of the 
Texan army, and was promoted to succeed General Houston, 
which led to a duel between them, wherein Johnston was 
wounded. In 1837 he took the command- in-chief in Texas, 
and in 1839 acted as Secretary of War of the New Repub- 
lic. When the annexation of Texas to the Union ended in the 
Mexican War, he went to Mexico at the request of General 
Taylor, and was elected colonel of a volunteer regiment, the 
1st Texan Rifles, and specially distinguished himself at the 
battle of Monterey. . He afterward took part in the war 
against the Mormons. For his distinguished services he was 
promoted to the rank of brigadier-general in 1857, and to 
the post of Military Governor of Utah. At the outbreak of 
the civil war. General A. S. Johnston joined the Southern Con- 
federacy, and was killed at the battle of Shiloh, near Corinth. 
His loss was deeply regretted by the whole Confederacy, but 



KOBEET E, LEE — THOMAS J. JACKSON. 837 

especially by the troops, who were devotedly attached to him. 
He was of noble and commanding presence, com*teous and af- 
fable in his address, of a generous and kindly disposition, and 
was universally esteemed and beloved. 



ROBERT EDMUND LEE. 

General Lee was born in Virginia in the year 1808. He is 
a collateral descendant of Washington, and is the owner of 
Whitehouse, a splendid property which formerly belonged to 
that great man. He was educated at West Pointj and com- 
manded a corps of engineers in the Mexican campaign, during 
which he was severely wounded at the battle of Chapultepec, 
and was twice brevetted for distinguished gallantry. In 1852 
he was appointed Superintendent of the Military Academy, 
and. in 1855 was made lieutenant-colonel of the 2d Cavalry. 
Meanwhile, Lee was sent with M'Clellan, then a captain, to 
the Crimea, to watch the operations of the siege of Sebastopol, 
When the Civil War in America broke out, he was at San 
Antonio, Texas, in command of his regiment, but joined the 
Confederacy, and was intrusted with the chief command of 
the Confederate troops in Virginia, and subsequently was ap- 
pointed Commander-in-Chief of the whole Confederate army. 



THOMAS JEFFERSON JACKSON. 

General T. J. Jackson (usually styled " Stonewall " Jackson) 
was born at Clarksburg, in the county of Lewis, Virginia, in 
the year 1825, of very respectable parents, who both died 
when he was quite young, leaving him unprovided for. An 
uncle on his mother's side then took charge of him, and gave 
him the best education he could afford. His studious habits 
15 



338 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 

and good conduct procured for him the office of constable foi 
his county, when he was but sixteen years of age. In 1842, 
a young man in his district was offered a cadetship at West 
Point, but not having much inclination for a military career, 
he declined it. Jackson endeavored to get the vacant ap 
pointment, though strongly dissuaded from trying for it by 
his friends, who feared he might not succeed in passing his 
first examination. Jackson himself was aware that he was 
scarcely competent to undergo this ordeal ; but not dis- 
heartened, he energetically set to work to qualify himself, and, 
provided with a letter of introduction from Mr. Hayes, a 
member of Congress, he made the venture. Jackson suc- 
ceeded in gaining admission to the Academy, and in 1846, 
having received his appointment as setiond lieutenant, he was 
ordered to join General Taylor's army on the Rio Grande. 
After the battle of Buena Vista, Jackson was transferred to 
General Scott's army, then engaged in besieging Vera Cruz. 
He was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant for his bravery, 
and was present in nearly every affair in which the troops of 
General Scott were engaged ; and, for his dashing conduct, 
was soon promoted to the rank of major. In this campaign, 
his health suffered so severely that he was obliged to retire 
from active service. He then accepted the offer of a pi'ofes- 
sorship in the Military College at Lexington, in Virginia, 
which appointment he held until that State seceded from the 
Union. It has been alleged that Jackson is a fatalist^ like 
Napoleon and some other great generals ; this imputation, 
however, has been denied by his intimate associates ; but all 
parties concur in representing him as a highly moral, straight- 
forward man, deeply imbued with religious faith. As a com- 
mander he is very strict in the maintenance of discipline, but 
is, nevertheless, almost worshipped by his men. Many of 
his brilliant exploits, especially his conduct on that memorable 
occasion on which the name of "Stonewall" was bestowed 
upon him, are to be found related in previous portions of this 



THOMAS J. JACKSON. 339 

work. His appearance is not prepossessing. He is about six 
feet in height, and awkward in his movements, and has a small 
but well-formed head, gray eyes, a straight nose, and light 
brown hair. He is taciturn rather than communicative, and 
his tone in conversation usually serious ; but on occasions he 
can be cheerful and animated. Friends and foes all concur in 
ranking " Stonewall " Jackson as the most distinguished officer, 
if not, indeed, the ablest general of the Confederate army. 

Note. — Just as these concluding sheets were passing through 
the press, the unwelcome news reached England of the death 
of the subject of the above brief sketch, from the effects of 
wounds received at the sanguinary battle of Chancellorsville. 

" He had often dared the extremest dangers of the battle 
field, and his hairbreadth escapes were recounted with wonder 
by his men, who had, almost come to regard him as endowed 
with a charmed life. In him the Confederate army has lost a 
beloved and trusty leader, whose very name was a tower of 
strength. By common consent, General Jackson was pre- 
eminently the hero of the war. He had no personal enemies, 
and no political antecedents lent a sinister aspect to his fame. 
The motives which actuated him in espousing the cause for 
which he so zealously contended, were pure and lofty. In- 
deed, we have been assured that it was not without a severe 
struggle, and, at last, an earnest conviction that he was doing 
his duty, that he drew his sword on the side of the Confederacy. 
From the people of the South his memory will receive the 
solemn, affectionate, unstinted homage which a nation pays to 
its chief martyr, while in this country, the admiration felt for 
his brilliant achievements, and the respect to which he entitled 
himself by his private virtues, have caused his death to be re- 
garded with an intensity of regret, rarely bestowed on any 
but our own countrymen. He was, moreover, so pious, and 
God-fearing a man, that it is said he never engaged in any 
unusual enterprise without first making it the subject of 
special prayer." 



340 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 

General Jackson was twice married. 

The Times thus eloquently adverts to the death of the 
hero : 

" The Confederate laurels worn on the field of Chancellors 
ville, must be twined with the cypress. Probably no disaster 
of the war will have carried such grief to Southern hearts as 
the death of General Jackson, who has succumbed to the 
wounds received on the eve of the great battle of the 3d of 
May. Even on this side of the ocean, the gallant soldier's 
fate will everywhere be heard of with pity and sympathy. 
Not only as a brave man fighting for his country's independ- 
ence, but as a most consummate general, ' Stonewall ' Jackson 
will carry with him to his early grave, the regrets of all who 
can admire greatness and genius. From the earliest days of 
the war, he has been conspicuous for the most remarkable 
military qualities. That mixture of daring and judgment 
which is the mark of ' heaven-borii ' generals, distinguished 
him beyond any man of his time. Although the young Con- 
federacy has been illustrated by a number of eminent soldiers, 
yet the applause and devotion of his countrymen, confirmed 
by the judgment of Euroj)ean nations, have given the first 
place to General Jackson. The military feats he accomplish- 
ed moved the minds of people with an astonishment which it 
is only given to the highest genius to produce. The blows he 
struck at the enemy were as terrible and decisive as those of 
Bonaparte himself The march by which he surprised the 
army of Pope last year would be enough in itself to give him 
a high place in military history. But perhaps the crowning 
glory of his life was the great battle in which he fell. When 
the Federal commander, by crossing the river twelve miles 
above his camp, and pressing on, as he thought, to the rear of 
the Confederates, had placed them between two bodies of his 
army, he was so confident of success as to boast that the en- 
emy was the property of the army of the Potomac. It was 
reserved to Jackson by a swift and secret march to fall upon 



'^ THOMAS J. JACKSON. 3,41 

his right wing, crush it, and, by an attack unsurpassed in 
fierceness and pertinacity, to drive his very superior forces 
back into a position from which he could not extricate him- 
self except by flight across the river. 

" He fell by a cruel chance, having received his mortal 
wounds in the confusion of a melee from the fire of his own 
troops, ' all of whom would have died for him.' On the 
evening of the 2d of May, his men, mistaking him and his 
cortege for some of the enemy's cavalry, fired with fatal effect, 
killing and wounding several of the party, and the lamented 
general himself received three wounds in the arm and hand. 
Amputation of the arm was necessary, and from the effects 
of this the Southern hero sank, after considerable suffering, 
at the end of a week. 

" By the death of General Jackson the South has lost a 
great and controlling mind — one of those born leaders of men 
who can infuse their own spirit into all around them. .Such 
a commander is the soul and strength of a cause when it as- 
serts itself in arms. The combination of sincerity and enthu- 
siasm with the professional skill that amounted to a genius 
for war is rare indeed. Power cannot evoke, nor can the 
wealth of empires create it. The adherence of such men to 
a cause or principle makes the difference between success and 
failure to the side they select. Had his last victory been 
more complete it would not have compensated the South for 
the loss of General Jackson, whose fall has thrown such a 
dark shadow over the memory of the day. That fall was 
untimely, for he was still young in years, and the work to 
which he devoted his life is unfinished. He might have done 
his cause more service, but he had achieved a full measure of 
fame ; and rarely has so brief a period established such an 
unquestioned military reputation." 



842 BIOaEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



STERLING PRICE. 



General Peice was born in Eel ward county, Virginia, in the 
year 1810. He migrated to Missouri in 1830, where he 
settled as a farmer in Charlton county. In 1844 he was 
elected a member of Congress, and, as such, took his seat in 
the House of Representatives at Washington. When the 
events in Texas led to the war between the United States and 
Mexico, Price resigned his seat as a member of Congress, and 
took the command of a Missouri volunteer regiment, receiving 
the rank of colonel. Returning to Missouri on the termina- 
tion of the Mexican war, he was, some time after, elected 
Governor of that State (in 1852). When Abraham Lincoln 
had been elected to the presidency of the United States, and 
the civil war broke out, the border States soon followed the 
example set them by Carolina and other Southern States in 
seceding from the Union. General Price, adopting the cause 
of the Confederacy, was intrusted with the command of a 
body of volunteers, and rendered such service to the cause by 
his skill and activity that he has entitled himself to be regard- 
ed as an able officer and gallant soldier. 



C. EREDERICK HENNINGSEN. 

Amongst the many military men of talent with which the 
present age abounds, there are none perhaps whose career 
furnishes more varied interest than the subject of this brief 
sketch. In whatever field of. action we behold him, whether 
in the wilds of Tartary, in Cireassia, in the Basque Provinces, 
in Hungary, at the sanguinary siege of Comorn, or in the 
pathless mountains of Nicaragua, we ever find him manifesting 
the same high military qualities and the same scrupulous love 



FKEDEEICK nE:jj'isriNGSEsr. 343 

of honor General Henningsen was born in London in the 
year 1816. When scarcely sixteen years of age the civil war 
in Spain, consequent on the death of Ferdinand VII, had just 
broken out, and attracted the general attention of Europe. 
Henningsen, prompted by an energetic spirit, joined the 
Carlist chief, Zumalacarreguy, as a volunteer, in the Basque 
Provinces. He soon rose to the rank of captain in that 
general's body guard, and was made a knight of the order of 
St. Ferdinand. On his return to England he published a 
" History of the War in Spain," a work which earned for him 
the favorable opinion of both the Duke of Wellington and 
Marshal Soult. When scarcely twenty years of age he re- 
turned to Spain with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and, 
after the battle of Villar de los Navarros, was entrusted with 
the command of the cavalry. As a reward for his gallantry 
before Madrid he received the rank of a full colonel, and the 
order of Isabella. He next served with the Russian army in 
the campaign against the Circassians, and wrote a work on the 
(yaucasus, which was published by the Russian Government as 
an official document. He next published a work entitled, 
" The Revolutions of Russia," which was well spoken of at 
the time. He subsequently went to Hungary, and was in- 
trusted with the command of Comorn. When the struggle 
there was over, Henningsen turned his attention to the im- 
provement of firearms, and superintended the construction 
of the first Minie rifles introduced into America. But he con- 
tinued to devote himself to literary pursuits, and j)ublished 
the following works : " A Twelvemonth's Campaign under 
Zumalacarreguy ; " " The White Slave," a novel ; " Eastern 
Europe Sixty Years ago," a Russian novel. But of all his 
writings, " Analogies and Contrasts " met with the greatest 
success. When the war in Nicaragua assumed a serious 
aspect, the want of a good leader was felt. Some of Presi- 
dent Walker's friends proposed Henningsen, who had then 
(aken up his residence at New York. An offer was thereupon 



344 BIOGRAPHICAL SKKTCHJl:-. 

made to him, and, on accepting it, he embarked for Nicaragua. 
At the termination of the war there he proceeded to Georgia, 
of which State he became a naturalized citizen, and when the 
war of secession broke out he accepted the post of second in 
command of Wise's legion, in the service of the Confederates. 
The dilatory conduct of the Government, however, has 
hitherto not afforded him an opportunity for the display of 
his military talents. General Henningsen is tall, and quite 
the. soldier in appearance ; he speaks eight different languages 
with the same fluency as he does his mother tongue, and is 
incontestably a most accomplished and i^ell-informed military 



JOSEPH ECCLESTON JOHNSTON.* 

This oflS,cer, who is a native of Virginia, entered the Military 
Academy in 1825, passed thence to the 4th Artillery, and re- 
tired in 1837 ; but, on the breaking out of the Florida war 
shortly afterward, he entered the Topographical Engineers 
and served during that contest. In 1846, as lieutenant-colonel 
of the Voltigeurs, he served during the Mexican war, having 
been present at all the engagements between Vera Cruz and 
the capital, was twice wounded and twice brevetted. In 1860 
he left the line and became quartermaster-general to the 
United States army, with the rank of brigadier-general. He 
is very simple and unassuming in his bearing, but his coun- 
tenance is expressive of great resolution and capacity. Gen- 
eral Joseph Johnston, • who took service in the Confederate 
army at the outbreak of the Civil War, was very severely 
wounded at the battle of Seven Pines. 

* The substance of the above aud of the four subsequent sketches is derivcdj 
by permission of the proprietors, from the columns of Once a Week. 




EDMiEBp KIRBY SMITH — BEAXTON BKAGG. 345 



EDMUND KIRBY SMITH. 

KiRBY Smith, Vfho is from the State of Florida, was a cadet 
in 1841, and served through the Mexican war, at first as a 
lieutenant of the 5th Infantry — wherein were two other officers 
of the same name, both of distinguished bravery, and both 
slain in action — and afterward in the 7th Infantry, and was 
twice brevetted for gallantry. He was for a time mathemati- 
cal professor of the Military Academy; and in 1861 was a 
captain in the 2d Cavalry. This able officer joined the Con- 
federate forces soon after the commencement of the war of 
secession, and it was his timely arrival with the strong divis- 
ion under his command, at the close of the battle of Manassas, 
that decided the victory of the Confederate army. 



BRAXTON BRAGG. 

General Bragg is a native of North Carolina. He became 
a cadet of the Military Academy in 1833, and was known by 
name at least throughout the Republic for his heroic conduct 
during the Mexican war, especially by his gallant defence, 
when a lieutenant of the 3d Artillery, of Fort Brown — a lit- 
tle earthwork hastily thrown up by General Taylor on the 
bank of the Rio Grande, opposite the city of Matamoras; 
and also by his subsequent conduct at Buena Vista, when his 
battery, supported only by the 1st Mississippi Rifles, charged 
and routed the Mexican army, after the volunteer infantry 
had fled en masse. He received four brevets during that Avar. 
In 1854 he was only a captain, and retired from the service 
some years since. On the breaking out of the Civil War he 
was intrusted with an important command, and received the 
rank of a general. 
15* 



846 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



JAMES LONGSTREET. 

This distinguished officer, one of the ahlest generals of the 
Confederate army, was born in South Carolina. He became 
a cadet in 1838, and was attached successively to the 4th and 
8th Infantry, was present at Monterey, and all the battles in 
the Valley of Mexico; was wounded at Chapultepec, and 
twice brevetted. In 1858 he passed from the line into the 
paymaster's department, and belonged to it at the commence- 
ment of the present struggle in 1861. The A^ery active part 
taken by General Longstreet in the great battles and other 
military operations of the Cival War, will be found narrated 
in the previous pages of this work. 



I 

% 
t 






BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES 

OF 

tnnuU at tin it)itxKl |0rcu« 



G. -B. M'CLELLAN. 

General George B. M'Clellan was born at Philadelphia 
in the year 1826, and is the descendant of an old Scotch fam- 
ily, the lairds of Kirkcudbright. He received his military 
education at the academy of West Point, which he quitted in 
1846, after a course of careful study, and with a certificate of 
exemplary conduct, and with the rank of second lieutenant of 
engineers. He served in the Mexican war, and distinguished 
himself at the battles of Contreras, Churubusco, Molino del 
Rey, and Chapultepec. For his gallant conduct in the latter 
engagement, he received the brevet rank of captain, and had 
the command given to him of a company of sappers and mi- 
ners. At the canclusion of the war he returned to West 
Point, and remained there on duty with his company until 
1851. About this time he introduced the bayonet exercise 
into the American army, and prepared a military manual, 
which is now used as a text book in that service. In the 
spring of 18.52 he served under JNIajor Marcy, in the expedi- 
tion for exploiting the Red river, and soon after joined the 
staff of General Persifer Smith, a senior engineer, and was 



348 BIOGKAPHICAX SKETCHES. 

engaged in surveying the rivers and harbors of that State 
In 1853 he superintended the western division of the survey 
of the North Pacific Railroad route; rCTiirning in 1854, he 
received a commission in the cavalry, and %as soon after ap- 
pointed a member of the commission ^sent by the United 
States Government to the seat of war in the Crimea, to watch 
the progress -of the siege of Sebastopol ; having for his asso- 
ciates, Colonel R. E. Lee, the present Commander-in-Chief of 
the Confederate forces, and ]\Iajor Mordecai. The result of 
his observations was a critical report on the " Organization of 
European Armies, and the Operations of War," 

At the conclusion of the war, IM'Clellan returned to Amer- 
ica, and aft^r two years' service resigned his commission, and 
became Vice-President and Engineer of the Illinois Central 
Railroad, Avhich post he held for three years. On the civil 
war breaking out, the command was given to him of the mi- 
litia in the State of Ohio, with the rank of major-general. 
He soon greatly distinguished himself by his victory at Rich 
Mountain. After the disaster at Manassas, he was placed at 
the head of the Army of the Potomac, and on the retirement 
of General Scott, was appointed to fill his post as Command- 
er-in-Chief. M'Clellan may truly be said to possess most of 
the qualifications required to constitute a good general. The 
pages of this work will be found to bear full and impartial 
testimony to the bravery, sagacity, and calm judgment dis- 
played by him on many occasions — especially when in com- 
mand of the Army of the Potomac — and also to his successful 
efforts in organizing the Federal army. 



FRANCIS SIGEL. 

This officer, who holds a deservedly high place amongst the 
generals of the Federal army, was born at Sinsheim, in the 
Grand Duchy of Baden, in 1824, and was educated in the 



AMBROSE E. BURNSIDE — DON CAELOS BUELL. 349 

military academy at Carlsruhe, the capital of that duchy. In 
the political outbreak in Germany in 1848, he joined the rev- 
olar.iouary party, and eventually emigrated to America, se- 
lecting the State of Missouri as his new home. When the tide 
of civil war threatened the security of Missouri, he appealed 
to all the German settlers in that State to rally round him in 
defence of their homesteads. All those men who had for- 
merly served under him in Germany hastened to join his flag ; 
a mark of confidence of which he had much reason to feel 
proud. The great skill and ability with which he led his le- 
gion in their progress through the prairies of Missouri, was 
so highly appreciated, that the rank of major-general was be- 
stowed upon him. 

AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE. 

General Burnside, of the State of Indiana, was born in the 
year 1824, and was educated at West Point. In 1847 he re- 
ceived the appointment of lieutenant of artillery in the United 
States army, and served in the Mexican campaign. In 1852 
he quitted the army and was appointed a railway engineer. 
When the Civil War broke out the command was given to 
him of the 1st regiment of volunteers of the State of Rhode 
Island. In 1861, in consequence of the great activity and 
military skill vthich he displayed, he was promoted to the 
rank of a brigadier-general, and was subsequently, also, in- 
trusted with the command of the military and naval expedi- 
tion directed against the coast of North Carolina. 



DON CARLOS BUELL. 

General Buell, who is a native of the State of Ohio, was 
an infantry cadet in 1837, and served with much credit in the 
Mexican war, during which he was twice promoted for the 



350 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHE^' 

bravery he displayed. After the battle- of Churubusco, in 
which he was severely wounded, he received the rank of ma- 
jor. On the termination of the Mexican war he was ap- 
pointed adjutant-general, but quitted the service in 1851. 
General Buell espoused the cause of the Union, on the seces- 
sion of the Southern States; he is a distinguished officer, 
lirave and energetic, and his kind-hearted conduct toward the 
prisoners who fell into his hands has won for him golden opin- 
ions even among the Confederate soldiers. 



HENRY WAGER HALLECK. 

General Halleck was educated at West Point, as an engi- 
neer, and at one time was a professor in that military school. 
Before the Civil War broke out he was known as the author 
of various military works, and also as a rising barrister at 
San Francisco, in California, in which State he had previously 
served with distinction during the Mexican war, that led to 
its annexation to the United States, and he was promoted to 
the rank of captain. He left the service in 1854, and subse- 
quently became Secretary of State for the province of Cali- 
fornia, under the military government of Generals Kearny, 
Mason, and Riley, and was a member of the Convention which 
drew up the constitution of California in 1859. He disap- 
peared for a time from public life, following his profession as 
a lawyer on behalf of his JNfexican clients in California, until 
the war of secession broke out, when he was induced to take 
service in the Federal army, with the rank of major-general. 
General Halleck's outward appearance by no means indicates 
the soldier, although he is not deficient in the dignity due to 
his rank ; but whether on active service or not, his bearing 
more resembles that of a peaceful citizen than of a general 
officer. On the 22d of July, 1862, General Halleck was ap- 
pointed Commander-in-Chief cf all the troops in the United 
States. 



TTLTSSES S. GRANT — JOHN C. FREMONT. 351 



ULYSSES S. GRANT. 

General Grant was bom in 1828, in the State of Ohio. 
After being educated at West Point, he received his appoint- 
ment as lieutenant in the 4th infantry in the year 1845, and 
served with great credit in the Mexican war. In 1847 he was 
appointed quartermaster of his regiment ; but shortly after- 
ward left the service and settled in the State of Illinois. 
When the civil war in America broke out, the command was 
given to him of the 2d volunteer regiment of Illinois. He 
was appointed a brigadier-general in 1861, and in the March 
of tlie following year was promoted to the rank of major- 
general, and was intrusted with the command of the army in 
W^est Tennessee. 



JOHN CHARLES FREMONT. 

General Fremont was born in the year 1813, iu the State 
of South Carolina, where his father, a native of France, had 
settled. As a youth he was noted as an excellent mathema- 
tician, and in his twentieth year was appointed professor of 
mathematics on board the man-of-war Natchez. He also ac- 
companied various exploring expeditions in the West, fitted 
out by the United States Government. In the year 1838 he 
was appointed lieutenant in the corps of topographical engi- 
neers, and a few years afterward was intrusted with the com- 
mand of very important exploring expeditions in the West. 
In 1845 he was promoted to the rank of captain, and made a 
third and extensive journey to Oregon and California. In 
(^alifornia he took the command of the North Americans re- 
siding there, and in a few weeks cleared the northern part of 
the country from the Mexican troops, for which valuable ser- 
vice he was appointed Governor. In 1849 he succeeded in dis- 



352 BIOGRAPHICAL SKKTCHES. 

'covering a practicable route of communication for connecting 
California with the Eastern States of North America. This 
was his last exploring expedition previous to his settling in 
California, for which State he was elected Scnatoj;-. Soon after 
the commencement of the war of secession he-took service in 
the United States arm}', and was intrusted with an important 
command in Missouri. 



THE END 



